


Orphans

by o_rcrist



Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-21
Updated: 2013-01-27
Packaged: 2017-11-26 09:06:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 15
Words: 48,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/648924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o_rcrist/pseuds/o_rcrist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Agron and Duro have had to fend for themselves ever since their parents were ripped from this world two years ago. Agron notices a small boy in the market one day, up for sale. He sees the calm facade the boy has, but underneath it all, he sees the fear that no one else does. He and Duro come up with a mad plan to see him free, not realizing how doing so will change all their lives forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Luck

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my lovely Beta morphine-sprinkles on tumblr, who also happens to be my absolute best friend.

Capua was bustling. The sun was shining down onto the market place welcoming the traders that had recently arrived; bringing the promise of new supplies, meat, and clothes from the Far East. Everyone was occupied with looking at the latest arrivals, and little attention was paid to the two boys who loitered about around them. They were casually walking about, taking in the crowd with practiced eyes.

The larger of the two nodded toward the smaller, and they began to mingle among the adults, pushing and shoving their way through. A charming smile, a small laugh, and the adults easily brushed them off and turned their attention back to the traders, hardly noticing the fact that their purses were somewhat lighter than when they had arrived.

The boys only spent a few minutes among them, before another look was shared between them and they slowly made their way out of the crowd. They ducked into an alleyway, and shared a grin. “Well done, Bruder. What did you earn?”

The smaller boy held out his hands, holding a dozen coins, a proud smile on his face. “Enough to get us fresh bread for the week!”

Agron grinned widely at Duro, taking the coins and putting it into the small pouch he had, tucking it securely against his chest. He ruffled Duro’s hair, and happily threw an arm around his shoulders. They walked out of the alley, Agron keeping a careful eye on the crowd until it was out of sight. They started toward the market square, where they would find one of the bakeries. The man who owned it was one of the few fair men in the city, and one of the few people Agron and Duro had learned to trust in the two years they had been on the streets.

The square was even busier, and Agron took Duro’s hand in his, leading the way through it. As they neared the front, he understood why it was so busy. The slavers had arrived. Men, women, and children alike stood chained together, wooden boards hanging on rough rope around their necks. It always enraged Agron to see people treated so. He’d never been able to understand slavery, how one could strip away another’s humanity with such ease.

He pulled Duro away from the crowd. He didn’t like Duro to see the auctions and did his best to make sure they avoided the market on days when they took place. They were at the edge of the market, when he looked up at those doomed to a life of enslavement. His eyes trailed over several women chained together, before they came to rest on a small boy at the end.

His small hands gripped the chains around his wrists, his eyes gazing down at his chained feet. He was dark of skin and hair, slightly smaller than Duro, his ribs clearly visible. The boy looked up, and his eyes met Agrons. He could see rage dwelling within those brown depths. He could see the fire in them; a fire that revealed that his will had not been broken. But underneath it all, he could also sense the _fear_.

Agron started forward but was pushed aside by the slaver, and a man he recognized as one of the local brothel owners. Fucking pigs, the lot of them. They made their way towards the group the boy was chained to, talking loudly.

“The rest are far too old, but the boy.” The brothel owner roughly grabbed the boys chin, forcing him to look up, “My clients will take to his beauty. I’ll give you eight denarii for him.”

Agrons blood boiled. The boy couldn’t have been older than Duro, and he was to be sold as a _whore_?

The slaver scoffed, “ _Eight_ denarii? I’d get more selling him as a common house slave. Let us discuss a fairer price, in the shade.”

The brothel owned nodded, shoving the boy away from him. The boy stumbled, and fell to the ground with a small cry. Agron growled dangerously, glaring at the slaver and brothel owner.

“Agron,” Duro said quietly, “Let’s leave. I don’t like it here.” Agron looked down at Duro, who was clutching his hand tightly, and hiding behind his back, not looking at the slaves.

He turned and looked down at Duro, hugging him tightly, “We’ll leave soon. Duro, do you see that boy? The one at the end of the group there?”

Duro looked around Agron, and gave him a small nod. “Yes. What about him?”

“We’re going to free him.”

Duro gaped up at him. “What? Agron if we are caught, we’ll be sold as slaves!”

Agron took Duro’s chin in his hand, and quickly reassured him. “We won’t be caught, I promise. That boy though, there’s something different about him. We can’t let him be sold as a slave. Help me free him.”

Duro thought about it for less than a second, before nodding in agreement. Agron had taken care of him for the past two years, never once leading them wrong. He would trust Agron on this.

“Create a distraction. Draw the crowd’s attention away from here, long enough so that I can pick the lock on those chains.” Duro nodded in understanding, a mischievous grin on his face. “Meet us at the traders market as soon as you are able.” Duro nodded again, making his way away from Agron and towards the other side of the crowd.

Agron stood against a nearby wall, discreetly pulling the small dagger he carried out of his breeches. It was narrow and long, perfect for picking locks, something Agron had been taught by his father as a small boy. He held it tightly, his eyes focused on the boy at the edge of the group. An auction was about to begin, when a pig suddenly ran through the square, followed by several chickens. The women screamed and the men shouted as the animals’ owner came running through trying to catch the animals.

Duro was fucking brilliant.

All attention was on the ruckus, and Agron ran to the boy, dagger in hand. The boy stepped backward, pressing himself up against the wall, eyeing the dagger. “I’m not going to hurt you,” Agron softly told him, placing the tip of the dagger into the lock, and with a few quick movements, he heard a familiar satisfying click. He quickly undid them from around his small ankles, and then went to work on the ones on the boys wrists.

He glanced over his shoulder, suppressing a laugh as a cow ran through the square as well, another angry owner chasing after it. He focused back on the task at hand, and a few seconds later, he heard another small click, and the manacles from the boys’ wrists fell to the ground.

Agron took the wooden board from around his neck, and threw it away. The other slaves were looking at him, but none made any sound or movement to stop them. The woman standing beside the boy gave him a small nod, and mouthed, “Go.” Agron nodded, grabbed the boys hand, and ran from the square as fast as his feet could carry him.

The boy was fast on his feet, easily keeping pace with Agron. When they were out of sight of the square, he pulled the boy into the alley way, so that they could rest for a moment.

“Are you all right?” Agron asked, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

The boy nodded, looking over his shoulder as those in the square began to yell louder. Agron recognized the voice as the slavers, and took the boys hand again, pulling him deeper into the alleyway. He shrugged off the vest he wore, and handed it to him. “Put that on, until we reach the edge of the city. It won’t do much, but it might keep prying eyes away from you.”

The boy hesitated slightly as Agron held it out to him, before slowly reaching out and taking the vest in his small hands. It was several sizes to large, but Agron just brushed that off. Most of the clothes the children on the streets wore were either too big or too small anyway, so it wasn’t likely others would take notice.

He led the boy though the alleyways, heading towards where he would meet Duro. He held his dagger in his hand still, alert for anyone that might be following them. He breathed a sigh of relief once the traders were in sight. He turned around and faced the boy. “Act casual,” he softly instructed, “These men come from the Far East, and everyone is occupied with what treasures they bring. They will take no notice of either of us, as long as we do not draw attention to ourselves.” The boy nodded in understanding, and Agron slowly stepped out of the alleyway, his eyes scanning the crowd for Duro.

He soon saw his brothers’ familiar dark hair, and as if feeling Agrons gaze, turned slightly, their eyes meeting for a second, before he casually walked behind one of the largest tents. Agron motioned for the boy to join him, blinking hard as the sunlight blinded him for a moment. “There,” Agron pointed to the tent Duro had disappeared behind, “That is where Duro is. I doubt we will, but if we get separated, meet us there.”

The boy nodded again, and Agron wondered why he had yet to say word to him. He shrugged it off for now; he could concern himself with that once they were safely within the cisterns. He took the boys hand in his own again, and started making his way through the crowd. It was easy to stay on the edge, as most of the crowd was struggling to get close to the vendor’s booths. He looked over his shoulder, seeing that the boy had his eyes cast low to the ground, both his hands gripping tightly at Agron’s. He squeezed back gently, attempting to reassure the boy.

It was less than a minute before they were behind the tent, Duro sat on a barrel, idly playing with the small dagger Agron allowed him to carry on the streets. “How many times must I tell you to keep that _hidden_ , Duro?”

Duro rolled his eyes, jumping off the barrel and grinning at his brother. “Did you like my distraction, Agron?”

Agron chuckled quietly, giving him a proud smile, “You out did yourself this time.”

Duro looked around him, at the boy. He was still gripping Agron’s hand tightly, but he lifted his eyes from the ground, and briefly met Duro’s. Duro offered him a warm smile, one that the boy hesitantly returned. “Are we going home?” He asked his brother.

Agron nodded. “I’m afraid the bread will have to wait until tomorrow though.”

Duro absently shrugged his shoulders. “No need to fret. Besides, most of the bread will be a day old by now.” He eagerly looked at the boy. “We earned enough coin to get us fresh bread for the week. Don’t you agree? That it is better to wait until the morning that is, when it will be fresh from the oven?”

The boy seemed somewhat startled at Duro asking him the question, not bothering to mask the surprise etched on his face. It was a long moment before he nodded in agreement, the hint of a smile on his face. Duro grinned back at him, and took the lead of their little group, expertly making his way through the maze of tents and small shops. Soon they were out in the open, on the edge of the city.

It wasn’t long after that they reached the entrance to the cisterns. While there were plenty of entrances to them in the city, they both preferred this one. It was remote, and few people knew of it, making them feel safer. Neither one of them would admit to it, Agron more so, but they both missed and craved the safety they had once taken for granted.

Duro leapt onto the ladder with a laugh, quickly making his way down. Agron gently tugged the boy forward, so that he was standing next to him, giving him a nod to follow Duro. The boy looked down into the dark, narrow tunnel that led down, and took a step backward. He gently rubbed the boys’ shoulder, “I know it looks frightening, but it’s only a short way down. The cisterns widen up considerably, and we have several torches lit to light the way. Duro is waiting for you; he won’t let anything happen.”

The boy sucked in a deep breath, closing his eyes before he let it out. He hesitantly reached out and gripped the wooden ladder tightly, and ever so slowly began to make his way down it. He waited until the boy was half way down, before looking one last time behind him, making sure that no one had followed them.

Satisfied that no one had, he climbed down after Duro and the boy. He found Duro idly tossing his dagger again, while the boy leaned against the wall, his hands fidgeting slightly. “Lead the way, Duro.”

Duro grinned widely, more than happy to take charge. He proudly marched forward, his dagger still in hand. Agron shook his head slightly, wondering how many times he would have to tell Duro to not play with it. A feat he doubted even the gods could get through his little brothers thick skull.

They soon came to the runoff that came from the arena, the water brown and filthy. There were stones that normally gave them a clear path across it, but with recent rains, the water now covered them. He turned back to Duro and the boy. Duro nodded, and began making his way carefully across, long since having learned by heart where the stepping stones were.

Agron looked down for a second and was startled to see blood running down the boy’s ankles. He kneeled down to inspect the wounds, and grimaced slightly. The chains had rubbed his skin raw, and with all of the running and walking, the scabs had broken open. Several blisters had burst as well, oozing clear liquid from them.

“Climb on my back. Your wounds will get infected if you walk through the water.” Agron turned, still kneeling, and looked over his shoulder at him. The boy bit his lip, but did as Agron said. Agron slowly stood, and the boy’s arms tightened around his neck slightly. The boy’s body was quite warm against his, but he attributed that to the day’s heat. He stepped into the water, grimacing as it flowed over his feet and sandals. It would take days for the stench to wear off of them.

 He treaded carefully. The runoffs weren’t deep in this part of the cisterns, but one wrong step and one would end up on their ass in the filthy water. He paused once they were across, turning his head slightly, so he could see the boy. “I can keep carrying you, if you wish. Your wounds look painful.”

The boy’s eyes met his, and he could just hear the whispered, “Thank you.” Agron grinned widely, and he swore he could see a faint smile on the boy’s face as well, before he pressed his face into Agrons back.

Duro continued leading the way toward the little corner of the cisterns that they had made their home. Duro pushed aside the large blanket that served as a makeshift door, holding it open for Agron, who immediately went to the corner where their beds were. They were really little more than several layers of blankets, but they didn’t mind. Agron turned, kneeling down and letting the boy go on top of his.

Agron turned back to face him, offering him a small smile as he inspected the wounds on his ankles. He looked over at his brother, “Duro, can you get me some clean cloth and water?” Duro nodded, and rummaged through their belongings, pulling out a few strips of white cloth and handing them to Agron. He grabbed a small water skin off the floor, and a clay bowl that was lying near it, and handed them to Agron as well.

Duro sat down next to Agron, curiosity all over his face. Agron poured some water into the bowl, dipping the cloth into it, and began to gently wash the blood from the boy’s ankles.  “What’s your name?” Duro asked with a smile, his eyes wide and innocent.

Agron glanced up to look at the boy, as he quietly replied, “Tiberius.”

Agron’s hands paused for a moment. “Tiberius? You are far too dark for such a fair Roman name.”

Tiberius yanked his feet back, wrapping his arms around his knees, and glared at Agron. “I’m more Roman, than Syrian.” His eyes hardened. “That’s what the slaver told me at least. And why would a _Roman_ care if one has a name similar to theirs?”

Agron shook his head. “A Roman wouldn’t care. But they are no kin to us.”

Tiberius’ eyes widened, his body relaxing slightly. “You’re _not_ a Roman?”

Agron looked at Duro, letting out a small sigh. “We’re from Germania. The Romans hired our father to make weapons for them, and we moved here not long after Duro was born.” He glanced again at Duro. “Our father served the Republic for many years, but when he and our mother died, they left us to fend for ourselves.” The lie ran easily off his tongue. “Our hatred for them runs as deep as yours does.”

Tiberius’ eyes softened slightly. “Apologies. I-.”

Agron shook his head. “You owe us nothing.” He smiled, knowing Duro was doing likewise. They’d both learned how to deal with their anger towards the Romans, and how to make sure it didn’t taint them. Agron dipped the cloth into the water again, and Tiberius let Agron continue cleaning his wounds. He looked up absently. “You must have had another name, one that you had in Syria.”

Tiberius nodded, but stayed silent. Agron could tell that he was still confused, and probably more than a little overwhelmed with everything that had transpired that day. Agron couldn’t even imagine what he felt like, waking as a slave, bound in chains, and herded like an animal to market. Now he was free, and being shown kindness, something Agron was sure he had not been treated with in weeks, maybe even months or years. “Duro, get yourself some food and make Tiberius a plate as well. And _don’t_ make a mess of it this time.”

The roll of Duro’s eyes went unseen by Agron, but got a small laugh from Tiberius. As Duro got the food, Agron wrapped a clean dry cloth around each of Tiberius’ ankles, protecting his wounds from the harsh air. “I’ll gather some aloe plants tomorrow. They’ll help your wounds heal faster, and make the bite of the air less powerful.”

Tiberius nodded, and Duro walked over, balancing two wooden plates in his hands. He handed the one with more food to Tiberius. “Gratitude,” he said softly, and Duro nodded his head, his ever present smile still on his face.

As Tiberius took a bite of the bread they had, Agron caught sight of the wounds on his wrists. He gently reached out, taking the boys hand in both of his, examining it. The skin had been rubbed raw, as it had been on his ankles but less of the scabs had broken open, and all of the blisters were still intact. Agron knew he would have to make those burst, as they would cause an infection if they weren’t.

“Once you finish eating, I’ll tend to these as well,” he told Tiberius, releasing his hand. Duro plopped down beside him, putting his plate on the floor, and tearing into the chunk of bread he had. He started making small talk with Tiberius, carefully avoiding questions that would no doubt bring forth painful memories. Duro was young, just past his tenth year, but he was smart.

Agron gathered his own food, and a few of the water skins and cups, which Duro had forgotten. He set them down in the middle of the little circle the three of them had made, pouring each of them some water. Tiberius immediately set his plate down, and gulped down the water faster than Agron thought humanly possible.

Tiberius noticed the strange looks he was getting from both Agron and Duro, and quickly set his cup down, his face reddening slightly. “Apologies, it’s just that...I…I haven’t been allowed any water since we arrived here.”

Agron could feel his temper rising. That explained why Tiberius’ body had been so warm against his. He’d not been excited, he had a fever.

Agron handed him the unopened, full water skin. “You have no reason to apologize. Drink your fill.”

He could practically feel the gratitude falling from Tiberius as he undid the stopper, and brought it to his lips, draining half of it in three long draughts. He licked his lips, catching the few drops that had escaped him, leaned against the stone wall, and closed his eyes.

Duro looked at Agron, his smile gone, confusion and anger on his small face. “Why didn’t they let him have water Agron?” He quietly whispered, leaning closer so that only Agron could catch his words.

He glanced at Tiberius, who luckily, had not heard Duro. “Because the slavers are cruel. But that is why we saved him.”

Duro nodded, not completely satisfied with Agrons answer, but he knew he wouldn’t get anything else out of Agron. He wasn’t stupid. He knew that the only reason Agron kept things from him was so that he _could_ have the childhood Agron had been cruelly denied. “I’m glad we saved him. He’s nice,” he told Agron.

Agron grinned at Duro, ruffling his dreadlocked hair. “We wouldn’t have been able to without your infinite ability to cause chaos,” he replied quietly.

Duro beamed, always happy when Agron praised him. He took a rather large bite of bread, chomping away happily. Duro had some of the worst table manners.

Tiberius opened his eyes again, taking another long swig of the water, the hint of a smile on his lips. “Are you feeling better? I felt your fever earlier,” Agron gently asked him.

Tiberius nodded. “Gratitude.” He looked down at the water skin still in his hands, and Agron could see the debate taking place in his head.

“Drink your fill,” he repeated. “The rains have been frequent, and we have much stored up. The more you drink, the faster your fever will disappear.”

Tiberius needed no further prompting and drained the last of the water. Agron handed him another full one. This time he took just a small drink, then reached for the dried meat, tearing off a small piece.

They continued to eat, Tiberius finishing off his entire plate before Agron and Duro were even half-way through theirs. Agron only chuckled, and reached over and grabbed another loaf of old bread.  Once he’d eaten his fill, Duro took all of their plates and cups, quickly cleaned them off, and placed them carefully in one of the makeshift shelves they had dug into the cistern walls.

Agron once again dipped the cloth into the water, and Tiberius held out one of his hands. Agron took it in his own, gently wiping away the blood first. He examined the blisters carefully. Without looking up, he addressed Duro. “Get a needle for me.”

A minute later Duro kneeled down next to him, handing him a small bone needle. Agron could feel Tiberius pull back slightly, and before he could reassure him, Duro spoke up. “It doesn’t hurt. I’ve had more blisters than I have cared to count. If you don’t drain them, they can become infected.”

Tiberius nodded, but Agron could tell he wasn’t convinced, his eyes trained on the needle Agron was holding. Distraction would best be served here. He positioned the needle to one of the largest blisters. “The stubborn fool speaks from experience.”

He felt Tiberius relax slightly, and quickly drained the first one.

“He once refused to let me drain one of his, and he spent two weeks hobbling about, bitching and whining.”

Tiberius let out a small chuckle, and Agron drained another blister.

“By the time he finally let me do it, the blister was _twice_ as large as it had originally been.”

Another one drained.

“And smelled fucking _awful_ , if I may say.”

Another small chuckle from Tiberius.

“It did _not_ ,” Duro whined, crossing his arms in a huff. “You’re just being an ass.”

Tiberius chuckled again, as Agron drained the last one on his wrist. He quickly cleaned it off, and wrapped it in a clean cloth. Tiberius much more willingly held out his other hand, and Agron set to work once again.

“ _Yes_ , it did. You just don’t recall it because you were too busy whining,” Agron retorted. He could see the laughter Tiberius was trying to contain, as he watched him and Duro bicker. Agron soon had his other wrist done, once again wrapping a clean cloth around it. Tiberius lifted his hands up, inspecting what Agron had done, while the German cleaned off his hands, and cleaned up the numerous dirty cloths on the floor.

Duro starting aimlessly chatting with Tiberius again, both of them suppressing a yawn more than once. He rolled his eyes. It seemed Tiberius was just as stubborn as they both were. Duro laid out on his bedroll, his face propped up on his hands, as he continued to joke with him. Soon enough though, Duro was nodding off, his face falling from his hands, and burying it in the blankets beneath him. Agron kneeled down, and pulled the one bunched at his feet over him, making sure he’d stay warm through the night.

Agron stood, and gathered a few spare blankets that they had and layered them on the floor between Duro and Tiberius. He sat down, untying his sandals and tossing them away to the corner. He noticed Duro had forgotten to take his off (again), and quickly undid his as well, throwing them to join his.

Agron stood once more, to blow out the few candles in their room, until only one was still lit. Its light was dim, just enough for them to see should they wake in the night. It kept away the pitch black of the cisterns, and the nightmares it often gave Duro.

Agron sat back down, looking at Tiberius. “You can sleep safely tonight.”

Tiberius smiled, and he looked thoughtfully at his hands. “Might I ask a question?”

Agron raised an eyebrow. “Of course.”

“Why did you save me?”

Agron was quiet for a moment, which Tiberius misunderstood and he quickly said, “It’s not that I’m ungrateful. Far from it. I know I _should_ simply be grateful, and not even ask, but I suppose my curiosity gets the better of me.”

Agron shook his head. “I don’t think you ungrateful.” He looked at Tiberius, holding his gaze for a moment, his brown eyes searching Agrons green ones. “I did it, because you had this look in you. This fire, but underneath it, I could see your fear. You masked it well, as the slaver never saw it, but I did. I overheard the slaver and the fucking pig discussing you, and it made me sick.”

He glanced at Duro, ruffling his hair once again. Duro curled up slightly, a smile on his face as he gripped his blankets. “I convinced Duro to help me. All those animals running through the square were his doing.”

Tiberius smiled, looking down at his hands again.

“You are safe here,” Agron told him again. “You’re free. Your life is your own, to do as you wish with it.”

Tiberius’ lip twitched slightly. “It is a strange thing. I’d forgotten what it was like, to have ones freedom.”

“And now you do, Tiberius,” Agron said simply, fighting the urge to ask him how long he’d been a slave.

Tiberius nodded. “And now I do.” He paused for a moment, before saying quietly, “Nasir.”

Agron looked at him, slightly confused.

“You asked if I had another name, when I was in Syria,” he explained. “My brother, he called me ‘Nasir’.”

“Nasir,” Agron repeated, liking it far more than ‘Tiberius’. Nasir grinned, actually grinned. “Do you have any other family there?” Agron immediately regretted his words, as Nasir’s shoulders slumped and the grin fell from his face. “Apologies, I shouldn’t have asked,” Agron quickly said, mentally calling himself a fucking idiot.

Nasir let out a dry laugh, “It’s quite all right.” He was quiet for a moment, before he shook his head sadly. “The only family I recall is my brother, but I can’t even remember what he looks like now.”

“Your mother and father?” Agron asked hesitantly.

Nasir shook his head again. “Nothing.” He didn’t offer anything else, and Agron didn’t press him for more. The subject was obviously painful, and Agron knew all too well why.

“You should get some sleep,” Agron said instead, nodding at his bedroll. Nasir looked at the blankets Agron was laying on, and a small smile formed on his face.

“Apologies for stealing your bed.”

“Stop apologizing for everything,” Agron said with a laugh. “You deserve a good night’s sleep on a proper bed, not some blankets on the floor.”

Nasir nodded, and laid down, tugging one of the blankets over himself as he curled up underneath it. His eyes started to drift shut, as Agron laid down on his blankets as well. Less than a minute later, Nasir was sound asleep, breathing softly. Agron smiled, as he rested his chin on his arms, watching both Duro and Nasir sleep for a long while.

Duro was smiling in his sleep, as he often did. The nightmares came less frequently now, which Agron was glad for. He hated seeing Duro so scared and afraid, clutching at him tightly as he cried. He would softly sing the lullaby he’d learned from his mother, one she had often sung them when they had been woken from the nightmares. It was the only thing that could bring Duro back from the darkness, and he would fall back to sleep in Agron’s arms.

Nasir was at ease as he slept, his body relaxed and calm. He clutched at his blankets tightly, as Duro did. He wondered when Nasir had last had a proper night’s sleep. In the dim light, he could still see the dark circles that were under his eyes, telling of many a sleepless night. He could sleep as long as he liked now, as both Agron and Duro had a habit of sleeping for long stretches of time. When woken before they were ready, both were grumpier than Jupiter when angered.

His eyes slowly began to slip shut as well, and he easily gave into his own exhaustion, gripping the dagger under his pillow tightly as he fell asleep.

 


	2. First Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I enjoy writing cute Nasir and pain in the ass Duro. What can I say?

Nasir sleepily opened his eyes, taking in the rough stone walls around him. He quickly sat up, frightened that the slaver would come and yell at him again. He pushed himself against the stone wall, curling his knees up to his chest, when he heard a small snore.

He cautiously looked over to its source. Duro.

He let out a shaky breath. It hadn’t been a dream. It’d been _real_. He was _free_. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath to steady himself. He slowly let his body relax and stretched out his legs and arms. He winced slightly from the movement, as it pulled at his wounds.

Duro was sprawled across his bedroll like a lazy cat, arms and legs splayed in all directions, mouth open slightly, and drooling. Nasir giggled quietly when Duro yawned in his sleep, further likening him to a cat. Duro rolled onto his stomach, cracking open an eye to look at him.

A grin quickly formed on his face. “Morning!”

“Morning,” Nasir happily replied.

Duro pushed himself to his feet, stretching slightly. “Did you sleep well?”

Nasir nodded. “Very. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to sleep as long as I wished.”

Duro laughed. “I don’t think you’ll ever have to worry yourself about that again. Me and Agron cherish our sleep, and we can never get enough. He yells at me when I sleep longer than he does, but the gods forbid _I_ wake him before he wants to, he whines like a girl.”

Nasir giggled as Duro complained about his brother. He looked around, looking for Agron, but was surprised that he wasn’t there.

“Where did Agron go?” he asked Duro, who was in the middle of rambling about how Agron had hidden his dagger from him again.

Duro paused while rummaging through a small chest, his arm reaching around in it blindly, his tongue sticking out between his lips while he bit down on it, and shrugged. “The market. Or that’s where he usually is, if he’s gone this early.”

Nasir nodded, and Duro cursed quietly as he came up empty handed. “He’ll probably be back soon. Sometimes he even brings back a surprise!”

“Like what?” Nasir asked curiously. Duro stood up, and started throwing spare clothes and blankets everywhere.

“Sometimes he brings fresh bread, but I bet that’s why he’s gone right now, so that won’t be the surprise. Other times he’s brought me clothes, when mine get ruined. One time he was even able to get us some fresh meat from the butcher! He’d done the man a favor, and as payment, he gave him some of his best cuts! He even cooked it, and made it all tasty for us, since neither of us knows how to cook meat well.”

Duro started going through the blankets and clothes again, a determined look on his face. “My favorite surprise though was when he brought me my dagger! He wouldn’t tell me how he got it, except that it was worth everything. He told me I deserved to have it, since I didn’t have much. I was excited, and he taught me how to use it, so that I could take care of myself.”

That explained why he was in such a frenzy to find it. Duro gave up with a huff, tossing the clothes and blankets into a corner messily. “That ass! He hides it somewhere new every time!”

Nasir tried to suppress his laugh, and got a dry look from Duro. “Why does he hide it from you?”

Duro made a face. “He says it’s because I don’t keep my dagger hidden like I’m supposed to.” He shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. “It’s true that I don’t but that’s just because I like having it in my hand better. So when I fall asleep, he takes it and hides it where I can’t find it. It’s his way of trying to teach me the lesson.”

“Which has yet to be learned,” Nasir said with a laugh. He got another dry look from Duro, but he could see the smirk tugging at Duro’s lips, and they both burst into laughter.

Agron walked in then, giving the two of them a strange look.

Duro immediately jumped onto Agron’s back. “Where’s my dagger?” he demanded to know, tugging at his brothers dreadlocks.

“Get off my back you monkey, and maybe I’ll tell you before tomorrow.”

“Tell me _now_! I can’t find it anywhere!”

Agron’s eyes scanned over the jumbled state of their home, and chuckled. “I can see that you can’t find it. What would be the point if you could?”

Duro growled, and jumped off Agrons back, glaring at him with all the anger the small boy could find.

Agron just rolled his eyes, and set down the bag he had slung across his chest, plopping down on his makeshift bed from the night before. Nasir grinned at him, and Agron returned it. Duro kept grumbling behind them.

“Duro if you keep whining, I’m not showing you what I got at the market today.”

Duro immediately shut up, and ran up behind Agron leaning over his shoulders, trying to peer into the bag. Agron clamped the top shut with his hands. “Uh uh, sit down.”

Nasir suppressed another chuckle and Duro stuck his tongue out at Agron before plopping down, the three of them forming a circle. Agron looked eagerly between the both of them. “Ready?”

They both nodded eagerly, leaning forward slightly. Agron grinned and pulled out three loaves of bread, and handed one each to Nasir and Duro. The bread was still hot, and smelled delicious; that amazing smell that bread straight from the ovens had, when it was warm and crisp.

“We already knew you went to go get the bread,” Duro said pointedly.

Agron raised his eyebrow at Duro, who smiled widely at him.  With another grin, Agron pulled out a small clay jar, and took off the lid. They both leaned forward, and Nasir’s mouth began to water. Inside was yellow, creamy, rich butter. The grin still on his face, Agron pulled out his dagger, and held out his hands for their bread. They both handed it over, and Agron quickly cut the loaves up for them, and Duro scurried to get the wooden plates they had used the night before. Agron buttered several of the pieces for the boys, and put them on the plates, handing them back to them.

Nasir grinned, taking a big bite. The bread was so deliciously warm; the butter melted just right in to it. Nasir couldn’t recall the last time he’d had such good food. He finished off his first slice, and picked up another slice, licking some butter off his fingers. Gods it tasted so good, and delicious, and……homey.

Duro was munching away at his bread, as was Agron. Agron was still grinning widely at both him and Duro, and Nasir returned it, his cheeks bulging from all the bread in his mouth. Agron laughed, and Nasir quickly swallowed his bread. “Gratitude, Agron. This is delicious.”

Duro quickly nodded his head, his mouth still full of bread. “’Hank ooo Agwooon.”

Agron smiled. “You’re welcome. Finish your breakfast, and then I’ll show you what else I got at the market.”

They needed no further prompting, the both of them almost inhaling their bread, eager to see what else Agron had brought them. Agron only shook his head, purposefully eating his bread slower, just to tease them. When he finished off the slice he was on, Nasir caught Duro’s eyes, and Duro jerked his head toward Agron. Nasir nodded, and they both lunged, pinning Agron to the floor.

They both started laughing as Agron squirmed beneath them, trying to get the upper hand over them. They both pinned his arms down, preventing Agron from tickling them. “No more teasing,” Duro said sternly, but it was lost with the grin on his face.

“Yes, show us what you got,” Nasir added, not even bothering to hide his laughter. He’d been with Agron and Duro for less than a day, and he’d already had more fun than he’d had in his entire life.

“Well how can I show you when I’m pinned to the ground?” Agron asked, his dimples in full force and giving them both puppy dog eyes. They loosened their grip slightly, and Agron quickly pulled his arms out of their grasp, and pinned them both to his chest. He awkwardly stood, still holding them to his chest, while they both squealed and laughed with delight.

Agron looked down at Nasir. “Don’t you start turning into Duro, now. I have enough problems just keeping him in check.” Duro let out a loud, “Hey!” And Agron winked at Nasir. Nasir just grinned at them both, giggling.

“Can I set you two monkeys down, and trust that you won’t tackle me again?”

Nasir smirked. “So long as you stop teasing us, and actually show us what you got.”

Duro laughed. “Please, Agron?” His eyes widened, giving Agron his best puppy dog face. Nasir did likewise, and Agron shook his head.

“You two will be the death of me.” He set them down on their feet, and they both plopped down on their butts, giving Agron an expectant look.

He shook his head again, and sat down, reaching for his bag again. He pulled out a pile of dark fabric, and handed it to Nasir. “I got you some new clothes. We may live on the streets, but I won’t let any of us wear rags.” Nasir was speechless, as he slowly unfolded the clothes Agron had gotten him. A loose grey shirt. A pair of brown breeches, and another pair in a tan color. A small black cloak. A small pair of sandals in the middle of the pile.

He could feel the tears forming. Never had _anyone_ shown him such kindness. He carefully put the clothes down beside him, and threw himself at Agron, wrapping his small arms around Agron’s big shoulders. “Thank you,” he said quietly, trying to stop the tears from falling. Agron was startled for a second, but he quickly wrapped his arms around Nasir, giving him a warm hug. Duro watched them, smiling happily.

It was a long moment, before Nasir let go of Agron, pulling away slightly. “Thank you,” he said again, wiping at his eyes.

Agron gave him a soft smile. “You’re welcome.” He lifted his hand, gently wiping away a stray tear that had fallen from Nasir’s eyes. “I’ve got one more surprise for you both.”

Nasir sat back on his feet, Duro scooting up beside him. They both tried to peer into Agron’s bag again, but he gave them a wry look. “Close your eyes. _And no peaking_!”

Nasir held his hands over his eyes, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. He could hear Agron pull whatever the surprise was out of his bag, and he grinned, wanting to know what it was. “Okay, you can open them.”

Nasir’s eyes flew open, and looked at what Agron was holding in his hands. Two stone bears. He held his hands up to the both of them, and Nasir reached out to take his, as did Duro. He held it up close to his face, taking a close look at his.

It was a lighter stone color, a reddish-brown. It was only about the size of his palm, but there were beautiful details in it. The bear’s ears were rounded and smooth, its feet had small claws, it had a small budge of a tail, and it had small streaks in it, to give the illusion of hair. Its eyes were open, looking ahead of itself. He unknowingly smiled as he turned it in his hands, inspecting every part of it.

“These are beautiful,” Duro said quietly. “Where did you get them?”

Nasir looked up at Agron, who shrugged his shoulders. “One of the traders. I’ve made friends with a few of them, and I guess they traveled to Germania, after they left here last year. One of the women picked quite a few up while she was there, and held onto them all year for us. I ran into her on my way back, and she told me she had a surprise for me. I followed her to her shop, and she showed them to me. She said that I could have the first pick. She said they were a gift for us.”

“That was really kind of her,” Nasir said as he looked at his bear again.

Agron smiled. “It was. It’s rare to find kindness here, as the Romans know nothing of it. The traders are always kind to us though. It’s why we won’t steal from them. They’ve helped us a few times over the years, and we can never repay them.”

Duro grinned. “Did you get one as well brother?”

Agron nodded, a grin on his face as he reached into his bag again. He pulled out another bear, slightly bigger than theirs. It was coal black, but the color diminished neither its beauty nor the intricate details on it.

“I like that one,” Nasir said. He looked down at the one in his hands. “I wonder how they do it?” He looked up at Agron and Duro. “I mean, how do they get all the detail into these? Rock can’t be easy to carve.”

Agron nodded. “It isn’t. It’s a skill that takes a lot of patience. Most carvers choose to work with wood, since it’s much easier to use. You can put just as much detail into the wood, but the rock is sturdier.” He gave a look to Duro. “Especially when one’s brother is Duro.” Duro stuck his tongue out at Agron.

Nasir giggled. “Do you know how to carve these?”

Agron gave a shrug of his shoulder. “Well, I sort of know how to. It’s nothing close to what these look like though. I sometimes find some good pieces of wood, and I’ll try to carve something out of it, so that Duro-.” He smiled at Nasir. “-And now you, have toys to play with.” Nasir grinned widely. “It can get rather boring down here, especially when it rains for a few days.”

Nasir looked down at the bear in his hands again. “Can you teach me?” He asked hesitantly.

Agron grinned. “Off course I can. Duro’s learning how to as well.”

Nasir looked at Duro, who nodded eagerly. “It’s a lot of fun, as long as your patient.” He glared at Agron again. “And if one has their _dagger_ to do it with!”

Agron shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe you should heed my other lessons as carefully as you do my carving ones.”

Duro continued glaring at Agron, crossing his arms and pouting. Nasir grinned, his eyes flicking from brother to brother. Agron continued to smile devilishly at his little brother, while Duro continued to pout. Nasir could see each was trying to outlast the other, and had a good feeling that Agron was going to win this battle of wills.

He was right, when a minute later, Duro uncrossed his arms, and crawled up to Agron, sitting right in front of his big brother. He pulled off the most impressive puppy dog face he’d seen so far, his brown eyes wide and big, innocently looking up at his brother. A small smile tugged at his lips, as he clasped his hands in his lap, still holding the stone bear. “I promise I’ll listen this time.”

Agron laughed. “I’ve taught you that look too damn well.” He got to his feet, and went to the far corner of their room, where Duro had messily thrown the spare clothes and blankets.

“I already looked there,” Duro said.

Agron turned around, and crossed his arms. “And you didn’t find it. Do you want it back, or not?”

Duro snapped his mouth shut, nodding eagerly. Agron lifted himself up slightly, reaching up to the stone arches above them. He pulled a small bag down, and from it, Duro’s dagger.

Duro held out his hand for it, and Agron placed the hilt in his palm, but didn’t let the blade go. Nasir was afraid Duro would pull it out of his brother’s hand on accident and hurt Agron. Duro held still though, waiting for Agron to relinquish it. “This is not a _toy_ Duro. This is a _weapon_. The last thing I want is for either of you to get hurt, because of your own foolishness.”

Duro nodded, as did Nasir, not missing how Agron had said he didn’t want _either_ of them to get hurt. Agron relinquished the blade, and Duro placed it in a small leather sheath on his belt. “I’ll get you one as well Nasir.” Nasir looked up at Agron, confused.

“I don’t need one. I don’t favor weapons.”

Agron nodded. “I can understand that, but I’d rather you carried one. It’s safer that way. Most people will ignore you, and you will learn to be grateful for that. Those who show you attention are often not to be trusted. That will be when you wished you carried one.”

Nasir sighed. He could understand why it would be a good idea for him to have one, but after so long of being at the mercy of them, he held a natural aversion to them. “It’s just that….well……I’ve never even held one before.” He swallowed, his throat all of a sudden feeling dry. “I’ve only ever been threatened with them,” he said quietly, his hand unconsciously going to his right eye, feeling the scar that ran through his eyebrow.

Agron kneeled down, and gently pulled Nasir’s hand away from his face, his own fingers tracing the scar. “They did this to you?” He asked quietly.

Nasir nodded, looking at his hand intertwined with Agrons. “It was before we came here with the slaver. We were still in Syria. I was scared, and trying to hide behind one of the women. The slaver saw me, and yelled at me. I didn’t understand him, so I didn’t move. He grabbed my chains, and pulled me behind from her. He held that dagger to my face, still yelling at me. When he pulled away, he left that.”

He could just hear the growl that came from Agrons throat and it made him feel safer somehow. Agrons fingers gently brushed over the scar. “Those fucking animals.”

Nasir could see Duro nodding in agreement behind Agron.

Agron took his hand away from Nasir’s face; his green eyes didn’t leave the scar though. “That is why I would rather you carried a dagger.” Nasir opened his mouth, ready to argue, but Agron cut him off. “I’ll teach you how to defend yourself with a wooden one first, as I did with Duro. Once you grow comfortable with that, then we can discuss trading wood for steel.”

Nasir sighed; he didn’t particularly _like_ being told what to do. Agron gave him a smile. “I know you dislike this, but I wouldn’t be so adamant about it if it would serve you no purpose. I won’t always be with you, and it’ll make me feel better, knowing you can defend yourself.

Nasir nodded at Agron. “Very well. I still don’t like it though.”

“Duro was of a similar mind at first as well,” Agron told him, looking at his brother, who quickly hid his hands behind his back. “You can see how long that lasted.” Nasir laughed, as Duro made a face, and slowly brought out his dagger from behind his back once Agron turned around.


	3. Aloe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I somehow forgot to work this in, and I was to lazy to try later, but Sura, Spartacus, and Crixus are in their mid teens. 
> 
> Sura and Crixus are 16 and Spartacus is 17 in my mind.

Agron led the way from the cisterns, up to the surface. Duro and Nasir climbed up behind him, bags slung across their chests like he did.

They all blinked rapidly as the bright sun caught their eyes, taking a moment to adjust to it.

“I’ll race you,” Duro said, a grin on his face. “First one there gets out of chores for the week.”

Nasir grinned. “Now how is that fair, when I don’t know where we’re heading?”

Agron laughed, and pointed out _away_ from the city, toward the river. “There. The aloe is usually around it somewhere.”

Nasir needed no further instructions, taking off towards the river. Duro yelled out, and took off after him. Agron laughed again, before starting after them. He easily overtook Duro, and soon caught up with Nasir.

The Syrian was quick on his feet, grinning at Agron as they approached the river. Agron returned it, but it fell from his face when Nasir put on one last burst of speed, and took off, running into the shallows of the river, the water splashing up around him. Agron splashed in next, and Duro came last, doubling over as he caught his breath.

“You’re…….fast……” Duro sputtered out.

Nasir grinned, doubled over as well as he tried to catch his breath. “It’s been…..a while……since I’ve been able to run……like that.”

Agron let out a laugh, choosing to instead just fall into the river, and let the cold water cool him down. “We’ll have to remember that, next time we challenge you to a race.”

Duro nodded in agreement, splashing down into the water as well, and splashing some at him. He rolled his eyes, too lazy to splash Duro back. Nasir took off his bag, and tossed it to the dry river bank, and sat down in the sand, letting his feet stay in the water.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, letting the rivers cold water wash away the sweat. It was the middle of the summer, and although it wasn’t even midday, it was already too warm to be comfortable. Agron begrudgingly stood up, instantly missing the feel of the water on his skin. “Let’s gather the aloe and fill our water skins, before the midday sun hits.”

Duro and Nasir both nodded and reluctantly left the water as well. Nasir brushed the sand off his breeches, and followed Duro and Agron. They walked over to a particularly rocky area, where several spiky plants were growing around them. Agron rummaged in his wet bag, and pulled out a strip of long cloth. He laid it out on one of the flatter rocks, and put his bag on another one.

Agron kneeled down in front of one of the plants, and looked up at Nasir. “Here, I want to show you something.” Nasir left his bag next to Agrons and kneeled down next to him. “This is aloe. It’s what we use for burns, cuts, scrapes, blisters, all those kinds of things. And if your skin gets too dry, it calms it down, so you don’t scratch it raw.” Nasir nodded at him, and Agron pulled out his dagger, carefully cutting one of the larger leaves off near the base of the plant.

He handed it to Nasir, who looked at it curiously. Agron ran his finger through some of the sap leaking from where he had cut it. “This is why we want it.” Agron explained. “The sap is what has all these healing properties.” Agron cut another big leaf off, and handed it to Nasir as well. “Can you put those on that?” Agron asked, pointing at the cloth.

“Okay.” Nasir quickly stood and did as Agron asked, and sat on the rock above him, still examining one of the leaves Agron had cut. He ran his fingers carefully over the edge of it, over the small spikes that adorned it. Agron smiled to himself. The spikes were harmless, not even sharp enough to break the skin.

“Owwwww!”

Agron rolled his eyes, standing up and turning to face Duro, who was hopping on his left foot, his hands clutching his right. He scooped Duro up, sitting him down next to Nasir. Duro hands were tight around his bare foot, and he cursed quietly.

Agron gently pried Duro’s hands from his foot, and bent down to inspect it. “Duro, why did you take off your sandals?”

“They were all wet,” Duro pouted, pointing to where he had left them on the rocks to dry.

Agron shook his head. “Duro…” There was a bit of blood on the sole of his foot. “What did you step on?”

Duro sniveled. “That rock there.” He pointed to a particularly sharp rock. “I was trying to step on the flat one next to it, but I lost my balance.”

Agron looked at Duro’s foot again. “It’s not deep, be thankful for that. It will hurt to walk for a few days though.” Duro nodded, and he looked at Nasir. “Can you see if I have some spare cloth in my bag? So I can wrap his foot?”

Nasir grabbed his bag and rummaged through it for a minute, before he pulled out a small stretch of cloth, and handed it to him. “Gratitude, Nasir.”

He wrapped it securely around Duro’s foot, and stood up, brushing off his breeches. “Sit there, and stay _still_.” Duro nodded, his hand rubbing at his injured foot.

“Can we put the aloe on that Agron?” Nasir asked him.

 Agron nodded, “I want to clean it first though, so it’ll have to wait until we return home.” Nasir nodded, watching as Duro continued to rub at his sore foot. “I’ll put some on yours as well. It’ll make those blisters heal faster.”

He looked around, and saw another large aloe plant. “Nasir, can you fetch Duro’s sandals for me? I’m going to cut a few more leaves, and then we’ll make our way back.”

Nasir slid off the rock smoothly, but before he could take another step Agron warned him, “Take care, and watch your footing.”

Nasir rolled his eyes at him. “I’ll be careful!”

Agron snorted, and kept an eye on Nasir as he climbed over some of the rocks to where Duro had left his sandals. He cut three more leaves of aloe, convinced they would last them for the next few days. He wrapped all of the leaves up in the cloth he had brought, and carefully stowed them in his bag. Nasir returned a moment later, handing Agron Duro’s sandals.

He quickly laced them onto Duro’s feet, and helped him off the rock. Duro winced slightly, placing most of his weight onto his left foot. Agron led the way away from the rocks, and they were near the river bank again. Duro was still wincing, and walking much slower than usual. He easily picked Duro up, balancing his small frame on one of his hips. Duro wrapped his arms and legs tightly around him. “Thank you, _bruder_ ,” he whispered into Agron’s ear.

Agron smiled, tightening his arms around Duro securely. They quietly walked back, both Duro and Nasir tired from the running they had done earlier. Yawns were escaping both of their lips. It wasn’t long before Duro was snoring in his ear, his small arms still tight around Agron. Nasir giggled next to him, before a yawn cut him off.

The entrance to the cisterns was soon in sight, and Nasir ran to it, climbing down first. Agron shifted his grip on Duro slightly, one arm tightening around his waist, while his hand gripped the ladder tightly. He easily climbed down, having carried Duro down the ladder more times than he could count.

Nasir was waiting for him at the bottom of the ladder, and with a nod, they continued on towards their corner of the cisterns. “Does Duro hurt himself a lot?” Nasir asked curiously.

Agron chuckled. “Quite often. He never learns, even after he hurts himself.”

Nasir smiled. “He’s blessed to have a brother who takes such care of him.”

Duro tightened his arms around his neck, and he smiled. “I fear it’s the only thing I know how to do.”

“You see that as a bad thing?”

Agron shrugged. “Sometimes. My father had just begun to teach me, and pass on his knowledge before…..”

“Before your parents died,” Nasir said quietly.

He nodded. “It’s too late for me to continue my apprenticeship. I was supposed to carry on our father’s legacy, and in turn pass it onto Duro,” Agron sighed, unconsciously tightening his arms around Duro.

They walked in silence for a moment, Agron lost in his memories. “I think you are passing on your father’s legacy.” Nasir said thoughtfully.

Agron furrowed his brow and looked at him. “How so?”

“Well.” Nasir looked at Duro. “Who taught you everything you have taught me and Duro? Your father I assume?”

Agron nodded. “He taught me much, but nothing of worth.”

Nasir pushed aside the large blanket, holding it open for Agron. “Nothing of worth? You have used everything he had taught you to survive, and protect Duro, and now me as well. I wouldn’t call that worthless.”

Agron gently set Duro down on his bedroll, and slowly began to unlace his sandals. Duro curled up on his side, burying his face in his blankets. “It is only a fraction of what my father was. All his knowledge was lost when he was robbed of his life.”

Nasir sat down beside him, handing him a small water skin and a clean cloth. “Not all of his knowledge was lost. You still carry some within you. It may not be everything you wish you could pass on to him, but it is still something.”

Agron was quiet for a moment, gently cleaning off Duro’s dirty feet. Duro mumbled something quietly in his sleep, the words muffled by his blankets. He cleaned the last of the dirt off of his small feet, and reached into his bag, pulling out the aloe. He unwrapped the fabric, and laid them on the floor. “Can you get me one of the clay jars? There should be one in that chest there.”

Nasir nodded, and got up and rummaged quietly through the chest Agron had pointed out. After a minute, he handed Agron one of the jars he found, sitting back down next to him. Agron started squeezing the sap out of the leaves, into the jar. Nasir held out his hands. “I’ll do it.”

Agron handed him the leaf he was working on. “Get as much out as you can.” Nasir nodded, and carefully began to squeeze the sap from the leaves, his small fingers more capable of getting it all out.

“You are right. I am grateful that I have some of my father’s knowledge to pass onto Duro as he grows, but I still feel guilt that neither one of us will know it all.”

Nasir cocked an eyebrow. “Why would you feel guilt? You are not responsible for your parents’ deaths.”

Agron sighed, letting his eyes fall to the ground. “No.” He wanted to tell Nasir but once again the lie he had told Duro so many times flowed from his tongue. “Death took them, as it takes all things in this city.”

Nasir nodded, and Agron was grateful he didn’t press him for details. He had yet to fully accept his parent’s death, and had never spoken of that night with Duro, or any other living soul. “Apologies, I didn’t mean to bring forth unpleasant memories,” Nasir quietly said.

 Agron smiled sadly. “It’s quite all right.” He dipped his fingers into some of the aloe, and gently massaged it into Duro’s wounded foot. Duro kicked out in his sleep, jarring his leg. “Fuck! Little bastard.”

Nasir snorted. “I take it he’s ticklish.”

Agron rubbed his bruised leg. “Very.” Nasir handed him a piece of clean cloth. “It makes wrestling with him entertaining.” Duro kicked out again as he finished wrapping his foot. Agron jumped up fast enough to avoid it this time, and Nasir laughed. Agron rolled his eyes, pulling a blanket over Duro.

He turned to face Nasir. “Let’s see how your wounds are healing.” Nasir nodded, stretching out his legs so Agron could unwrap the bandages around his ankles. He could hear Nasir hiss slightly, as the bandages stuck to his still raw skin. Agron pulled the water skin over, and dribbled some over the bandages. He waited for a moment as it loosened the bandage, and then carefully finished unwrapping the Syrian’s ankles.

Nasir hissed again as his wounds were exposed to the air. The raw skin had scabbed over for the most part, and the blisters he had drained the day before had remained so. “They’re healing well,” he said, examining the blisters closer. He could faintly see the new skin forming under them, as the skin over it was drying. “You’re ankles will probably start to itch soon, as the old skin falls off, and the new skin forms.”

Nasir nodded, leaning against the wall as Agron rubbed the aloe into the sensitive skin. He could see Nasir’s eyes starting to close more as he rubbed the last of it in, and wrapped his wounds in clean bandages. He reached out and did likewise to Nasir’s small wrists. They were healing somewhat faster, and took less time to clean and rub the aloe into them. “Take care not to scratch at them,” Agron said, knowing full well that Nasir was half asleep, and probably not hearing a word he said. “If you do, it’ll take longer for them to heal.”

Nasir nodded slowly, yawning widely. Agron stood up, holding out his hands for Nasir’s, and pulled him up. Nasir yawned, slumping against Agron’s chest. “Let’s get you to bed.” Nasir nodded slightly, but didn’t budge. Agron smiled and lifted him slightly, shuffling his feet under Nasir’s, and walking him over to his bedroll.

He eased Nasir down onto his bedroll, and the Syrian curled up, wrapping his arms tightly around the pillow. Nasir yawned widely as Agron pulled the blanket over him. “Get some sleep,” he quietly told Nasir. “I’m going to see some friends of ours. I’ll be back before the moon takes to the sky.”

Nasir mumbled out something that sounded like an acceptance, so he stood up, slinging his bag across his chest. His eyes quickly passed over Duro and Nasir, both sound asleep, faint snoring coming from the both of them. He smiled, and quietly left their home.

~~*~~

“Fucking Gaul.”

Agron groaned as he stood up, while Crixus laughed leaning against the wall.

“Don’t take me by surprise, you German fuck.”

“Take you by surprise? You’re the one that attacked me!”

Crixus shrugged his shoulders. “You took me by surprise.”

“You fucking-“  He growled dangerously. “Oh, fuck never mind. Where’s Spartacus?”

Crixus pointed down the hall. “Chasing Sura around, from last I saw.”

Agron groaned again. When was Spartacus _not_ chasing her around? “Well I need to talk to him, so distract her for a few moments.”

Crixus looked at Agron like he was thick. “Distract her? The gods themselves couldn’t distract that woman.”

“At last someone has finally realized that.” Agron looked to the side, finding Sura and Spartacus walking towards them. While he did not favor the fairer sex, he could not deny Sura’s beauty. Dark of hair and light of skin, he knew she had many men, even some women, vying for her attentions. She smiled wryly at him, as Spartacus kissed her cheek. They were so in love it was sickening sometimes.

“What do you require of Spartacus?” she asked him. Her eyes darted to his freshly scraped hands, and the dirt on his breeches. “And what happened to you?”

He threw a glare at Crixus. “The fucking Gaul happened to me.” Crixus chuckled quietly to himself, before Sura silenced him with a glare of her own. He smiled sheepishly at her, and then slunk off, sitting on an empty barrel that looked ready to fall apart. “I was hoping you might have a few extra blankets to spare.”

Spartacus gave him a questioning look. “I thought you and Duro had plenty, and some to spare?”

“We did, until yesterday. It’s a long tale.”

“We have time.” Sura told him, grabbing his wrist and tugging Spartacus along with her, back into his room. She directed him to sit down on a chest, while she and Spartacus sat down on the Thracian’s bedroll. “Begin,” she ordered.

He sighed, knowing she was about to try to kill him. “Duro and I, we sort of, well, he helped me free-one-of-the-slaves-for-sale-yesterday-and-now-he’s-living-with-us-and-we’re-out-of-blankets. So anyway, do you have some blankets to spare?” He grinned widely, waiting for the inevitable.

Sura slapped him hard across the face. “You. Did. WHAT?” Spartacus was looking between the two of them.  He’d barely heard what Agron had said, but Sura hadn’t missed a thing. Sura’s yell must have gotten Crixus’ attention, as he happily popped in, grinning widely as he flopped down on the floor.

“We freed him,” he mumbled quietly, rubbing at his sore cheek. Damn, it was probably going to bruise.

She slapped him again.

“Alright, alright, you demon! We freed him!”

She raised her hand again.

“Wait!” He held up his hands in surrender. “Just give me a minute to explain!”

She nodded, her hand still raised. “He’s Duro’s age, maybe younger, and the fucking slaver wanted to sell him as a _whore_! I-I couldn’t let that happen. You should have seen him! He had - still has - this fire in him. But underneath it all, I-” He paused for a second. It gripped his heart, remembering the fear he’d seen in Nasir’s eyes the day before. “I saw this _fear_. Raw, terrified fear. So I convinced Duro to help me free him. He created a distraction, and I picked the lock on his chains.”

Sura sighed, shaking her head. “You did a good thing Agron, but you’re an idiot. If you’d been caught….the consequences would have been severe for you and Duro, and death for the boy.”

“It explains why the city is in an uproar though,” Crixus said. Agron glanced over at him. “The slaver has men searching for the boy. He was valuable, and cost him much. He’s offered a reward of _thirty denarii_ for him.”

Agron groaned, putting his hands in his face. “Fuck. He’ll have to stay below in the cisterns, until the slaver leaves Capua.”

“That might not be enough Agron,” Spartacus calmly said.

Agron glared at him.

“You know that the slaver will have men searching the city for him, and with a reward of thirty denarii, many people will be on the lookout for him. He’ll be safe in this part of the cisterns; we’ll help you protect him. But if he wanders to far…”

“They’ll find him. I know.” He didn’t know what he feared more: the slavers men finding Nasir, or the cut throat thieves that inhabited the cisterns as well. There was an unspoken code between most of them, but the cut throats didn’t abide by it. “We have everything we need to get by for the next week or so. They should be gone by then. If not, we’ll worry then.”

Spartacus nodded. “Now back to why you came here. What happened to the extra blankets you had?”

“I’m letting him sleep on my bedroll. I’m using the few spare ones we have as mine for now. I was hoping you had a few extras so that he could have his own.”

Sura stood up, and opened up a small chest against the far wall. She pulled out some blankets, and Agron smiled, holding out his arms for them. “No,” she said. “I’ll carry them. We want to meet him.”

He nodded, and stood up, stretching his arms. Spartacus stood up beside Sura, and Crixus grumbled, still lying on the floor. As much as he disliked the Gaul, Nasir really should meet them all. They had a habit of just showing up uninvited – Sura and Spartacus were always welcome. Crixus was never welcome as far as he was concerned – and he didn’t want them to scare Nasir, should they show up while he and Duro were gone.

Sura was of the same mind as him. “Get up Crixus. You’re coming as well.”

“But-”

Sura glared at him. “Do I need to tell you twice?”

Crixus grumbled again, and stood up, trudging behind them as Agron led the way.

~~*~~

Agron held a finger to his lips, as he pulled the blanket aside, and stepped inside. Duro was still sprawled out on his bedroll, and Nasir sleepily opened his eyes. Agron saw the fear take over, as Nasir took in Sura, Spartacus, and Crixus behind him as he pushed himself up, and against the wall. He ran to Nasir, drawing him close to his chest, and holding him tightly. “It’s alright, they’re friends.” He could feel Nasir shaking slightly, as he held onto Agron tightly.

Duro woke up as well, his eyes quickly taking in Nasir as he held onto his brother tightly. He looked over, and saw Sura, Spartacus, and that fucking Gaul. He jumped up, standing beside Agron, and glared at all three of them. Mostly Crixus though. 

Sura set the blankets down, and slowly walked over, kneeling a safe distance away from him and Nasir. She smiled kindly at him. “Hello. My name is Sura. Might I ask yours?”

Nasir still held onto Agron tightly, but he met her gaze. “N-Nasir,” he answered softly.

Her eyes flicked between the two of them, and he thought he saw something flash in her eyes, but it was gone before he could be sure. “Nasir,” she echoed. “Apologies for startling you. We simply wanted to meet you. Agron told us about you, when he came to see us.”

Nasir nodded, his grip loosening slightly. “The fault is mine. Old habits die hard I suppose.”

She shook her head, tentatively reaching out and brushing a stray hair away from Nasir’s face. “Do not place blame on yourself. Those habits are what kept you alive. It will take time to adjust to freedom.”

He smiled softly, and Agron loosened his grip as well, allowing Nasir to sit back. He locked eyes with him, and Nasir gave him a small smile and nod. Spartacus stepped forward, and Sura looked over her shoulder at him. “This is Spartacus, and the one in the foul mood is Crixus.”

Nasir nodded his head in greeting, offering them both a smile. Spartacus smiled back widely, and Crixus actually managed a small twitch of his lips.

Sura stood up, and brushed off her dress. “We live here in the cisterns as well, not far from here. Once you learn your way about them, you are always welcome.”

Nasir smiled widely. “Gratitude, Sura.”

She smiled and nodded, while Spartacus and Crixus made themselves comfortable and sat down. Crixus choose Duro’s bed to sit on. “Get off my bed Gaul.”

Crixus rolled his eyes, not budging. “Quiet, pup.”

Duro growled, his hand gripping the hilt of his dagger. “Get off my bed you fucking Gaul.”

“No.”

“Crixus!” Sura glared at him sharply, and Crixus reluctantly moved, sitting on the stone floor. Duro glared at him, and sat down on his bed, his hand never leaving his dagger.

Agron glared at Crixus as well. The only reason he put up with the Gaul was because of Sura. It was well known she was not a woman to be trifled with, and Agron had been at the receiving end of her anger more than once. He and Crixus held a small truce in her presence most of the time. Duro argued with him less, but he would never dream of stopping Duro from pissing off the Gaul.

Nasir looked slightly confused; he knew nothing of the hostility between them and Crixus. A lesson passed down from their father to them: never trust a Gaul.

As much as he disliked Crixus, he reluctantly admitted to himself that if would be foolish to pass it onto Nasir, so he held his tongue, but still let a laugh escape his lips. He ignored the glare Crixus threw at him, and sat down on the floor beside Spartacus.

Sura was busy layering the blankets she had brought with the ones they had, creating a bed for Nasir against the wall, between his and Duro’s.

“How did you all meet?” Nasir asked absently. Sura looked up, her eyes trailing to Spartacus. He nodded, and cleared his throat.

“Sura and I have known each other since we were children. We were forced to flee our home in Thrace when the Getae invaded-“

“Getae?”

“A barbarian horde. They often invaded our villages, killing everyone within them. We were the only ones that escaped; our families and friends were slaughtered. Somehow we ended up here. We had no coin, so like many others before us, we made a home down here. I can occasionally find work, and the traders are more than fair to us, whenever they come.”

“Crixus was once a slave as well. Not here, but in Pompeii. He escaped, and made his way here. We met him several weeks after he arrived. He’s been with us ever since.” Spartacus wouldn’t elaborate, out of respect for them. It was their own history, and they each had a right to tell it if they wanted to.

“About two years after that, we meet Agron and Duro.” Nasir’s eyes flicked to the both of them. Duro looked down, trying to hide the sadness on his face. Agron wouldn’t even meet his eyes, his entire body stiffening. “The traders introduced them to us. We helped them make a life down here, and we’ve been friends ever since.”

Nasir nodded. “The traders seem to be the only fair people in this city.”

Duro nodded in agreement. “They are. We can always count on them, unlike the Roman scum in this city.”

Sura stood up, brushing her dress off. “Don’t think of them. It darkens all your thoughts.”

They all nodded in unison. “That should do for the bed, Agron.” She held out her hand, and pulled Spartacus to his feet. “We’ll be nearby, if you need anything.” She gave him a pointed look, silently reminding him of their earlier conversation.

“We’ll be here. We have everything we need for the next few days, and it looks like it might rain soon.”

Sura nodded, and led Spartacus and Crixus from their room.

Nasir watched them leave, and whispered, “Is Crixus always so.....?”

“Unagreeable?” Duro offered helpfully.

Agron scoffed. “Not the word I would have used, but yes. He’s in a never ending foul mood.”

“Why?”

Duro shrugged his shoulders. “Not even the gods know. All that we know is that Sura is the only one he _always_ listens to. He listens to Spartacus _most_ of the time.”

“Strange.”

“One gets used to it,” Agron told him. “Cast that ass from your thoughts. His stubbornness is enough to drive one mad, not to mention the headache it gives one.”

Duro laughed, laying back on his bedroll, pulling his dagger out and idly playing with it.

“Duro...” he warned. Duro shifted, leaning his head back to look at him. “Put it away, or I’ll hide it again.”

Duro groaned, and reluctantly sheathed it. “You’re no fun,” he muttered.

He ignored Duro’s grumbling, and looked over to Nasir, who was biting his lip to try and hide his grin. “Sura gave us a few of their spare blankets, so that you might have your own bed.” He cocked his head toward where Sura had made up Nasir’s new bed.

A faint red appeared on Nasir’s cheeks. “That was nice of her.”

Agron smiled. “It was. Now you can have a bed of your own.”

“And you can have your own back,” Nasir chuckled. He scooted over to his, shifting slightly to get comfortable. Agron laughed, gratefully plopping down onto his. It smelled a little different, like Nasir if he was right.


	4. Lessons

It took a lot of lying and bribing, but somehow he managed to keep Duro and Nasir within the cisterns. Sura, Spartacus, and Crixus were never far, absently walking the tunnels around them, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

It _did_ rain for a day or two, giving Agron a legitimate excuse for them to not leave the tunnels. The others days though, were difficult. After the first day of rain, he found several large pieces of wood, and he put them aside. After the second day, when the skies were crystal clear, and the sun beating down, he made them swear they would not follow him, and stay within their home until he returned.

They had both given him odd looks, but swore they would not leave without him. He’d gone as fast as he could, leaving the pieces of wood near one of the far entrances to the cisterns, where they would dry in the hot sun.

He’d quickly returned, fearing that even leaving them alone for a moment would bring disaster. He’d breathed a sigh of relief when he returned, finding them both wrestling and laughing. Once they saw him, they both pounced on him, tackling him to the ground with devilish grins. Agron had laughed, and easily tossed Duro off him, after tickling him senseless. Nasir was a bit trickier. He was smaller than Duro, and apparently, was _not_ ticklish.

Nasir had laughed though, grinning. “A good try, but I fear you’ll have to find another weakness for me.” Agron grinned back, and moving his legs, pushed at Nasir’s stomach, tossing him over his head. He landed on his bedroll with a grunt, and pouted at Agron. “Asshole.”

He laughed harder and sat up, rubbing at a bruise forming on his chest. “You’ll learn how to use things to your advantage soon enough, little man.”

Nasir growled at the nickname, while Duro snickered as he nursed a scrape on his arm. “Where did you go, Agron?” Duro absently asked.

“To set the wood out to dry. Tomorrow it should be dry enough to carve.”

“Finally. It’s been to long since we’ve found some worth the time and patience.”

Agron snorted. “Patience? You have none.”

Duro threw his sandal at him. “I have more than you _bruder_!” The sandal made a decent WHACK as it hit the side of Agron’s head, and he threw it back at Duro. Nasir started laughing quietly, going unnoticed by the brothers.

“Your actions would say otherwise.”

“Ass!”

Nasir laughed louder, rolling on the floor.

Agron only shrugged his shoulders. “The truth stings, does it not?”

“It is _not_ the truth! I have patience! Just not when it comes to _you_ , you oaf!”

Nasir roared with laughter, as Duro jumped on Agron.

~~*~~

“Take this.” Agron held the wooden dagger out to Nasir. Nasir sighed, and reluctantly took it from Agron’s hands.

“That won’t cause any real damage, but it’s enough to leave a decent bruise.” Nasir glanced down at the wooden dagger, scowling at it. “I know you dislike this, but it is something worth learning. That I can promise.”

Nasir nodded, but the frown was still there. Agron couldn’t help but smile, and held up his own wooden dagger. “A dagger is not a sword. It’s used for close combat only. Just think of it as an extension of your arm. It’s supposed to be a part of you, and you use it as such.”

Nasir nodded, and looked at him. “Where do we start?”

Agron chuckled, and his eyes flicked to the wooden dagger. “Carry that with you from now on. It _never_ leaves your side. Let it become _a part_ of you.”

Nasir cocked his eyebrow at him and asked, “That’s all?” He didn’t even bother to hide his skepticism.

Agron cocked his eyebrow as well. “For now. I’ll continue instructions tomorrow. For now I want you to become accustomed to having it with you.”

Duro snickered behind them, drawing both of their attention. “I thought he was crazy when he first started teaching me as well.”

“Trust me Nasir; I know what I’m doing.” Agron gave Nasir a reassuring smile. “This is how my father first taught me.”

Nasir looked back down at the wooden dagger, and tossed it in his hand. “Very well.” Agron smirked, and nodded in approval.

“Hey! How come I get yelled at when I toss mine around, but you say nothing when he does?”

Agron rolled his eyes. “His is _wooden_ , and if I recall correctly, I never scolded you for tossing it around. Now that I think about it, I should have, as it seems as if you will never be broken of the irritating habit.”

Duro pouted, and stuck out his tongue at his older brother. Nasir chuckled, and tucked the dagger into his belt, since the wooden one did not require a sheath.

Agron rolled his eyes, and sat on the floor, reaching for the dried wood. Duro crawled over to where he sat, and bounced on his heels impatiently. Nasir sat down beside him, his head cocked curiously. He handed Duro a medium sized piece of wood, about as long as his forearm, and slightly wider. Duro furrowed his brow, studying it for a moment, then drew out his dagger, and carefully began making practiced cuts.

Agron grabbed a larger piece of wood, and looked at Nasir. “Do you wish to make attempt, or simply observe for now? I have a spare dagger you can use.”

Nasir was thoughtful for a moment, his eyes focused on the wood. “I would observe for now, and maybe make attempt after,” he said slowly, looking up to Agron.

He grinned, and nodded in approval. Nasir scooted closer, sitting in front of him. He quickly shook his head. “Never sit that close in front of us. It is too easy to accidently cause injury.” He patted the ground beside him. “Sit here, and keep a close eye.” Nasir nodded, and moved to sit next to him, his brown eyes firmly fixed on what Agron was doing.

Agron sat quietly for a moment, thinking of what he should carve. Bears were always the favorite. They were simple, but fierce, and could be shaped a hundred different ways. He began careful cutting away, taking large portions of the woods away with each stroke.

“What are you going to carve?” Nasir asked him.

Agron gave him a crooked smile. “Guess. I shall tell you whether you are right or not.”

Nasir pursed his lips, his brown eyes studying the wood intently. “A lion?”

Agron shook his head, cutting away a smaller piece of wood. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Nasir watching both he and Duro carefully carving their pieces of wood, the shavings falling to the floor around them. Nasir picked up one of the larger pieces Agron had carved off, turning it in his hands idly.

Agron was making smaller cuts, holding the wood close to him as he did so. It was starting to take shape, fat around the middle, with four stubby legs.

“A boar?”

Agron shook his head. “Is a boar that fat?”

“The ones that taste good are.”

He cocked an eyebrow, smirking at him. “Guess again.”

Nasir stuck out his tongue at him, and Agron stuck out his in return. It was childish, but he often forgot that he himself was still one. It felt good to act like one, once in a while.

He returned to his carving, carefully cutting away small pieces, starting to form the small details.

Nasir watched silently, watching as he began to put the details into the bears face. Carving out the eyes, ears, and a roaring mouth. He was even able to carve small teeth in its mouth. He smiled to himself, impressed by his own work. Duro was still unable to carve small details well. It took a lot of practice, but they learned from every mistake they made.

He inspected his work, satisfied that the face was done.

“A bear.” He looked at Nasir, who was smiling, knowing that he had at last guessed right.

He nodded. “Correct.”

Duro grumbled across from them. They both looked over, as he gave a particularly vicious hack at the wood, and embedded his dagger in it. “Fuck the gods!”

They both snickered, and received a glare from Duro in return.

“What causes you trouble _bruder_?” Agron asked, trying to hide his laugh.

Duro turned his glare from them to the half-carved wood in his hands. “My blade is dull, and I cannot make the cuts I need to.”

Agron shook his head. “You sharpened it just three days ago. It cannot be dull already.”

Duro crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall. “Well it is!”

“Then sharpen it, and don’t take your anger out on us. Idiot.”

Duro muttered something under his breath, but got up and started rummaging through his things. He turned his attention back to his carving, as did Nasir. He finished the claws, and satisfied with everything else, made a few absent scratches along its back, to give it the illusion of hair, like their stone ones did.

He blew off the wood shavings, and handed it to Nasir. He took it carefully, holding it close to his face, inspecting every little detail on it. He was clever, that much Agron already knew. He could see Nasir thinking about everything he had just observed, how he would do it himself. He had no doubt that Nasir would be able to one day out do him when it came to carving.

~~*~~

“Agron!” He instantly woke at the loud whisper of his name, and pulled his dagger from under his pillow. Crixus was standing at the entrance to their room, the dim light flickering on his own drawn dagger.

He felt his stomach drop. “What is it?”

“Men are searching the cisterns. Their voices are getting closer.” His heart clenched, and he looked at Nasir. He was sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the danger they were all now in.

Crixus spoke again. “We cannot take the risk of them finding him here.”

He nodded, thinking quickly. “They’ve never come out this far before. They might be at the entrances, blocking our escape for all we know.”

Crixus nodded in agreement. “Spartacus and Sura are standing guard. They’ll come if the men get too close. You _have_ to be ready to run with him.”

“And Duro?”

“He’ll stay with us, until it is safe for you and Nasir to return.” He didn’t even have time to question the Gaul’s sudden generosity.

He glanced over at his sleeping brother. “He won’t stay behind, you know that.”

“He’ll have to! Even the most foolish Roman will not miss that more than one person lives here. Sura, Spartacus, and I can account for that.”

“And you?” he asked Crixus. Apparently the impending danger was making both of them set aside their hatred of each other. “You stand as a fugitivus as well.”

Crixus shook his head. “I escaped _years_ ago, from a different city. None of them know my face, or even that I was once a slave.  Nasir has neither of those advantages.”

Agron sighed heavily, and nodded. He grabbed his cloak, and hastily threw it on, trying to stuff food into his bag at the same time. Crixus rolled his eyes, and snatched it out of his hands. He packed the food in himself, while Agron laced on his sandals.

He hesitated to wake Nasir, praying to the gods that neither Spartacus nor Sura would deliver news of the men’s arrival.

“Have you lost mind?! Wake him!” Crixus roughly shoved him towards Nasir.

He rounded on Crixus, straining to keep his voice a low whisper. “No! Not until we know if they come or not. I won’t alarm him and Duro for no reason!”

Crixus growled. “You fucking German. I’ll wake him myself then!”

Agron moved in front of him, blocking him from Duro and Nasir. “I said ‘leave them be’.” He growled dangerously. “ _I_ will wake them if I have to. Not you, you fucking Gaul.”

They glared at each other for a long moment, neither one blinking.

Sura came running in, her dagger clutched in her hand. She was breathing hard. “You’re……safe.” She took a deep breath. “We man….managed to head them….off. Told them….we hadn’t seen anyone.”

“They believed you?” Crixus asked skeptically, as he peered out into the dark cisterns.

She shook her head. “Not….not at first. We asked…what the reward was…..for the boy. Told them we could…use the coin.”

They both nodded. The easiest way to convince a Roman was to act as one. All they cared for was coin. Pretend that was all you were interested, and they instantly believed whatever you had to say.

Sura took another deep breath. “Spartacus is still standing guard, watching to see if they come back.” She glanced at Nasir, still deep asleep. “You didn’t wake him?”

Crixus threw him a smug look.

“No. If I woke him, Duro would have woken as well. I didn’t want to alarm them.”

She shook her head. “A foolish mistake, but one born of a kind heart.”

Crixus looked back out into the cisterns. “Do you think they will return?”

“I doubt it. They rarely come out this far, and only seemed to do it for the promise of coin. They will not return, absent its promise.”

“And if they are given more coin?” Agron asked worriedly.

“They will still not return,” she assured Agron. “It’s been six days since you freed Nasir. This was a desperate measure. If he is not found, they will think him dead. They will not even begin to think that he has left Capua. This land is unfamiliar to him, and he would have nowhere to go. Better to have them think him dead, than still alive right under their noses.”

Nasir stirred slightly, pulling his blanket over his head and turning over.

Agron held his finger to his lips, signaling for them all to be quiet. He didn’t want Nasir to wake up. He’d managed to keep both him and Duro oblivious to the danger they were in all week. He didn’t want to fail now.

Once satisfied that Nasir was sound asleep once again, he jerked his head toward the door. They followed him out into the tunnels. “Never speak of this to Nasir or Duro. Our childhood has already been completely destroyed. I would not have theirs share the same fate.” He gave them all a hard look, daring them to argue with him.

It was a long moment, before Sura let out a heavy sigh, and nodded. “We will not speak of this. We leave that to you Agron.”

“Gratitude, Sura.”

Spartacus appeared from the dark of the cisterns, and looked over his shoulder, where Agron assumed they had been earlier. “We’ll stand guard out here for the remainder of the night, Agron. You stand guard over Duro and Nasir.”

Agron glanced down the tunnels, and then returned to a sleeping Nasir and Duro. Neither one of them had stirred. Nasir still had his blanket up over his head, and Duro was snoring quietly.

~~*~~

Agron was on edge all of the next day. Jumping at the slightest sound, hearing voices that weren’t there, constantly looking out into the tunnels around them.

“Agron?” He looked at Nasir, who had an eyebrow raised at him. “Are you all right? You seem a little….anxious today.”

He quickly shook his head. “It’s nothing. I just…um……didn’t sleep well last night.”

Crixus walked in just at the moment, coming to stand beside him. He gave Crixus a look as he continued, “Crixus stumbled in here, fell on me. He was drunk, off some piss poor wine he’d gotten a hold of.”

“You fucking-“ Agron gave him a hard look, and the Gaul shut up before he could ruin the lie.

Duro turned to look at him. “How did we not hear any of that then?”

Agron shrugged his shoulders. “You were both sound asleep. I’m not surprised you didn’t hear anything.”

He could tell neither Nasir nor Duro believed a word he had said, but with Crixus nodding along, they didn’t say anything.

They turned away from them, continuing a very one-sided conversation about the gladiator games that took place in Capua every week, sometimes more. Nasir knew almost nothing about them, and while he and Duro had never been to the games, they both still had a good idea of how the games worked.

Crixus roughly grabbed Agron by the arm, and yanked him out into the tunnels. He didn’t say anything, instead just kept dragging him further down them, out of earshot. “If you’re going to act as if nothing happened last night, then be fucking convincing. You really think you’re fooling them with that piss poor act of yours? They could see right fucking through it.”

He yanked his arm out of Crixus’ grasp. “Shut up, before they fucking hear you!”

“We’re far enough away that they won’t.” He smacked Agron across the chest. “You want us all to help you in this lie of yours?”

Agron groaned and nodded.

“Then fucking play the part you took on, just as Spartacus, Sura, and I are doing.”

He looked around. “Speaking of them, where are they?”

“Did you not hear a word I just said?”

Agron ignored him, and Crixus threw his hands up in the air. “You fucking German.”

Agron gave him a look, and raised his hands in a questioning manner. “Well? Where are they?”

“Fuck if I know.”

Agron rolled his eyes. “You are shit at lying. Where the fuck are they?”

Crixus looked at him like he was particularly thick. “Where do you think they are?”

He cocked his head to the side. With those two, one never did know. Spartacus had the stamina of an ox, and Sura was the only women who could match him, and she did it with great…..enthusiasm.

Crixus seemed to be thinking the same thing. “No they aren’t out fucking, you idiot.”

Agron shrugged sheepishly. “So where are they then?”

It took an immense amount of effort for Crixus to stop himself from rolling his eyes. “They’re out walking the tunnels. If they see or hear anything suspicious Spartacus will warn us, while Sura distracts them.”

“Good.”

“Alright.” Crixus pushed him back towards their home. “Now go play your part in this, and be fucking convincing. They ask me anything and I’ll send them straight to you, and then _you_ can answer their fucking questions.”

He pushed Crixus away from him. “I do know how to walk, you ass. Now make yourself useful and SHUT UP before they fucking hear you.”

He turned his back on Crixus before the Gaul could reply with another smart remark. It was a miracle they hadn’t already come to blows as it was. Usually it took less than two sentences before they were at each other’s throat. He chuckled to himself. That alone showed how much Nasir had already affected the lot of them. They had known him for less than a week, but they were all determined to protect him at any cost.

He walked back in as Duro was explaining what the _missio_ meant to Nasir.

“So if the gladiator gives the _missio,_ then he’s granted life? Allowed to live?”

Duro shook his head. “No. The _missio_ is a plea for mercy. He isn’t always granted it though. If he did a poor job fighting, the editor usually deals out death. The gladiator has to put on a good show if he wishes to be granted life.”

Nasir nodded, his face thoughtful. Agron wondered what Nasir thought of the games. After all, gladiators were _slaves_ , despite their appearance of being gods in the arena. He shrugged it off absently. He had no intention of letting either Duro or Nasir go to the games. He had seen enough violence in his life, and Duro had blocked out all memories of what he had seen. He didn’t know the full extent of Nasir’s experience with it, but he thought it best to avoid them all together.

Duro looked over Nasir’s shoulder. “Where did Crixus drag you off to?”

Agron shrugged, and picked up some bread. “Down the tunnels. Thought he heard something funny.”

He mentally slapped himself. He was supposed to be lying, not telling them what was pretty much the truth. He took a bite of the bread, hoping they didn’t notice.

Nasir turned half way around. “Did you find anything?”

Agron swallowed. “Just a stray dog. We chased it off, away from here.”

Nasir furrowed his brow, as though he didn’t quite believe Agron. Agron briefly feared that Nasir would call him out on his lie, but he said nothing. Nasir glanced at Duro, “So…um…have you ever been to the games?”

Nasir gave him a wry look, before he turned back to Duro. 


	5. Trickery

Agron led him and Duro through the cisterns and up to the surface. They casually made their way into the city, all of them on alert for looks that rested too long on them. It had been almost two weeks since Agron and Duro had freed him, and they were all still a little on edge about it.

He still only had his wooden dagger, but Duro and Agron both had theirs cleverly hidden on themselves, should the need to use them arise.

Agron led them close to the market, veering off into an alleyway before they reached it.

He glanced over his shoulder, out into the busy market, and then looked back at him and Duro. “It’s busier than normal today. That’s good news for us. More people, the easier we will blend in.”

Duro nodded, already forming a plan in his mind. Agron looked at Nasir. “You all right with this?”

Nasir gave him an unsure smile. “It doesn’t feel….right. I suppose. To rob them of their coin.”

Agron smiled back. “I know it doesn’t feel right. It isn’t, but it’s what we have to do to survive. And we never take more than what we need.” He glanced at Duro, and they shared a wry smile. “Unless they are particularly unpleasant to us. Then we reconsider how much we take.”

He nodded. “Alright.”

“Just watch what me and Duro do. Don’t draw attention to yourself, but wander through the crowd like we do. The occasional bump will go unnoticed by them, especially in this crowd. They won’t notice their purses being lightened by us. Don’t worry about trying to get any yourself. We’ll do that.”

He nodded to Agron, and he looked out at the crowd again. “I’ll go first. Wait a few minutes, and Duro will follow me. Do the same, and then wander out Nasir.” He looked at Duro. “We’ll give you the signal when to meet back here.”

Nasir cocked his head. “How will I know the signal?”

Duro smirked. “You’ll know when we give it to you.”

He wasn’t entirely convinced, but he trusted them both, so nodded anyway.

Agron casually made his way out of the alleyway, easily slipping into the crowd unnoticed.

Nasir gripped his bag tightly, slightly nervous. Duro gripped his shoulder. “Hey.” Nasir looked up at him. “Take a deep breath.” He nodded, and did as Duro said. “It’s all right. We’ve been doing this for years. We won’t let anything bad happen.” Duro was smiling widely at him, and he smiled back.

“Alright.” He looked over Duro’s shoulder. “It’s time for you to go.”

Duro chuckled, and quickly looked around, before slipping into the crowd as well. He peered around corner of the alleyway, unable to see Duro and Agron in it. How was he supposed to find them in it, if he couldn’t see them? Agron and Duro were both taller than him, Agron more so, but those adults dwarfed him.

He took a deep breath, and walked out, slipping into the crowd. The people paid him no notice as he walked through it, pretending to be making his way to the different vendors on the streets. As Agron told him, he occasionally bumped into people. They were so used to it, they didn’t even bother to spare a glance at him, instead just continuing on their way.

He caught a glimpse of Duro, who gave him a small encouraging smile, as he ‘accidently’ bumped into a passing man. He laughed quietly, and continued wandering through the crowd. As he came closer to the vendors, it became more crowded, and he struggled to make his way through. He didn’t notice a man coming towards him, piles of cloth in his hands. He ran into Nasir, and almost fell over.

“Fucking move.”

He mumbled out apologies as he hastily moved out of the way, his face blushing red as some people looked at him. He briefly looked up and found Agron watching him carefully. Nasir gave him a small nod, signaling that he was all right. Agron didn’t look convinced, but nodded in return and disappeared into the crowd again.

Nasir made his way toward the less crowded part of the market, and watched the people around him. Most were dressed in simple cloths, those of the common people, who held no status. A few stood out among them, those dressed in fine silks, waving fans as the crowd parted for them. Those were the elite, those who slaves to tend to their every wish. He took a step back, knowing very well what his fate could have been, if Agron and Duro had not freed him.

He didn’t realize there had been a small group of women behind him, and he accidently knocked a half full basket out of one of their hands.

“A-apologies,” he stammered out, kneeling to pick it up. She smiled at him kindly, as the other women watched. She kneeled down in front of him, taking the basket in her hands.

“None needed. You meant no harm.” She picked up some bundles of cloth that had fallen out of the basket and dusted them off. He could see Duro making his way over to them out of the corner of his eye. An idea popped into his head, and boldly took a chance.

“I hope I didn’t ruin any of your things,” he told her quietly, picking up another bundle and slowly handing it to her. He looked up at her, his eyes wide and innocent. His long bangs had fallen loose from where he had tied it back. They were framing his face, and he knew they only added to the look of him being a small and helpless child. Something he would use to his advantage.

The woman smiled at him again. “No worry. A little dust never hurt anything. It abounds in this city, and one becomes used to it.” Duro was behind the group of women. All of their eyes were fixed on him.

He picked up the last bundle, and stood up, as did the woman. He held it in his hands, and shrugged sheepishly. “Apologies again, for knocking the basket from your hands.” Out of the corner of his eye he watched Duro casually walk away, and he held out the bundle to her.

She took it out of his hands. “Gratitude.” He nodded, and turned away. He met Agron’s green eyes as he started toward the crowd, and he cocked his head to the side, toward the alleyway.

Duro was already there, and Agron followed behind him.

“You did brilliantly!” Agron wrapped him up in his arms, lifting him off his feet. “You saw an opportunity, and took it!”

Duro beamed at Nasir, holding out his hand. Agron still hadn’t let him go, so he had to turn his head to get a better look. He grinned; Duro had managed to take quite a lot. He couldn’t be sure how many, as he wasn’t able to count or read. He cringed slightly, embarrassed by the thought. Agron mistook it as he was hugging him to tight, and let him go.

“Apologies.”

Nasir pushed his bangs away from his face. “It’s quite all right. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Agron looked concerned. “You’re sure?”

He nodded. “I’m sure. How much did you manage to get?” He wanted to distract them both. He wasn’t eager to let them know how uneducated he was. He didn’t think they would think him stupid, but still; it was a sensitive subject.

Duro handed the coins to Agron. “I got ten dupondii and five denarii.”

Agron grinned widely. “Five denarii? Well done Bruder.”

Nasir smiled as well, gauging from their reactions it was a good sum. “What about you Agron? How much do you earn?”

Agron flashed his dimples at him, and held out his hand. “Not as much as Duro. Those women must have had husbands of some position. I was only able to gather eight dupondii.”

“It’s still a decent sum, is it not?”

Agron nodded. “Very good. Thanks to you. We normally earn maybe half of what we just did.”

He blushed, and Duro bumped his shoulder against Nasir’s. “Well done Nasir.”

He grinned. “Thank you.”

A few raised voices drifted through the alleyway, and Agron looked over his shoulder. He jerked his head away from the market. “Come on. Let’s get out of here before we’re spotted.” He led the way through the alleyway, and they came out in another part of the city. It was less busy, people idly walking around and conversing with others.

They didn’t even glance at the three of them as they walked out of the alleyway. He noticed Agron and Duro move their hands to their hips, knowing they were both ready to pull out their daggers at the slightest hint of danger.

They made their way towards where the traders had set up shop. They would leave soon, according to Agron and Duro, and not return for several months. Agron led the way to one of the trader’s booths. It was covered in stone carvings, some only as small as his fist, others as large as he was, ranging in color from the whitest white he had ever seen, to black as dark as night.

A woman was behind it, eagerly talking to customers. She was light of skin, but dark of hair; beads were strung in a few braids, clicking every time she moved. Her clothes were bright colors, the style unrecognizable to him. It seemed to be one unique to the traders. One that combined elements of all the lands they traveled through.

 She was eagerly showing one man the fine details of the stone lion she had in her hand. She must have noticed them, as her twinkling eyes briefly flicked to them, and he saw the barest hint of a smile, before she turned her attentions back to her customer. A few more words were exchanged between them, and the man dropped a few silver coins into her hand, and she handed him the carving.

She turned her attention to the three of them, waving them forward. Agron and Duro grinned, letting go of their daggers. Nasir followed behind them shyly. “How are you boys today?” she asked warmly.

“Very well today,” Agron answered. “And yourself?”

Her smile widened, showing her white teeth. “It’s been a good day. Plenty of customers and a nice surprise to wash away the bite of the more loathsome ones.”

Duro snorted, and the woman laughed. “Gratitude, for giving the bears to Agron. They are beautiful.”

The trader laughed. “You are welcome. I’ve been waiting a long time to give those to you, ever since we traveled through Germania a few months back.”

She leaned against the booth, looking around Duro. “And who is this? I don’t recall seeing you here before.”

Duro took his hand and pulled him forward, so that he was standing between him and Agron. “I’m called Nasir.”

“Nasir? You are Syrian then?”

He nodded, surprised that the women could figure out his heritage with little more than his name.

She laughed wryly. “I’ve traveled there before, usually every other year. One eventually learns how to identify people with little more than a name.” She motioned to the carvings behind her. “It is also a gift that helps one target customers, and what to ply them with.”

They all laughed together, drawing some looks from other traders nearby.

Nasir wiped at his forehead, stopping sweat from dripping into his eyes. “Apologies, but I do not know your name.”

The woman smiled, as Agron quickly said. “That is my fault. I failed to mention it before.”

“It is no worry. I’m called Lyonesse[1].”

“Like the female lion?” Nasir asked. He realized how silly the question was after he said, and scrambled to make it sound better. “I mean, it –it…..ummm… sounds…”

Lyonesse giggled, and shook her head, the beads clicking together. “It’s alright. Yes, like the female lion. The name actually means ‘little lion’ in my peoples tongue.”

Nasir thought back to the lion she had just sold, and smiled. The name seemed fitting somehow.

“Your people?”

“I’m a Celt, one of the few among us.”

He looked at Agron and Duro. “How did you meet one another?” He was curious how the brothers had learned to trust her.

The three of them shared a look he couldn’t read, and she simply said, “I’ve known them for years. Their parents used to bring them here often, and shop for relics from their homeland.”

He nodded, knowing there was more to what she was saying, but respecting Agron and Duro’s privacy. They would tell him if they wanted to, and if they didn’t want to, well, that was their choice. He wouldn’t take it personally.

Agron added, “They’re the closest thing we have to our homeland. And the city is much brighter whenever they arrive.”

Lyonesse frowned a bit. “It is strange, that I haven’t seen you in almost a fortnight. What kept you away for so long?”

Nasir worriedly looked at Agron and Duro, not sure what to say. He knew they trusted the traders, and especially Lyonesse without question, but he didn’t know how far that faith went. He was no fool. He knew there was a bounty on his head, one that was particularly large if he wasn’t mistaken. He knew he was worth a lot to the slaver. It was the only explanation for why Agron had insisted they not leave the cisterns for over a week. At least the only explanation he could possibly think of.

Duro was looking at Agron as well, not sure what to say either. Agron gave them both a small smile, and nodded. “Nasir was on the streets, and we took him in as family. He was sick the past few days, since he hadn’t eaten or had anything to drink for a while. It took us a few days to nurse him back to health.”

Nasir wrapped his arms around himself. The lie was close enough to the truth. His ribs were still visible, even though he was able to eat his fill every day for the first time in months. Lyonesse’s eyes turned to him, giving him a scrutinizing look. He didn’t meet her eyes, just holding himself tighter, trying to aid in the deception.

It seemed like an eternity before she nodded, but he still didn’t meet her eyes. He didn’t know why Agron hadn’t told her the truth, but he _did_ know that everything Agron did was to protect them all. There was a good reason Agron hadn’t told Lyonesse, and he made a mental note to himself to ask Agron why later.

Agron seemed to sense his uncomfortableness, as he quickly said, “This heat is getting worse, and I don’t want Nasir’s fever to return.”

She nodded, and gave them all a warm smile as they walked off. Once they were out of earshot, Duro threw his arm over Nasir’s shoulders, and Agron asked, “Are you alright?”

Nasir nodded, just realizing that he was shaking slightly.

“It’s not that we don’t trust her Nasir.” He looked up at Agron. “It’s just that…well…I see it as the fewer people who know how we really found you, the better off, and _safer_ you are.”

He nodded again.

“She has a way of reading people,” Duro absently said. “It can be a bit unnerving sometimes. She knows when she’s being lied to most of the time.” He glanced at Agron. “We’re lucky she didn’t call us out on it right then. I’ve seen her challenge lies from men and women from all walks of life, even the cities leaders.”

Agron nodded in agreement. “Either we’re lucky, or she actually believed what I told her. I doubt she did though. You could tell from the look she was giving us all. ”

Duro let out a deep breath. “What if she asks again? Will you give her an honest answer?”

“Will you?” The words came out, and they were laced with fear, despite Nasir’s attempt to hide it.

Agron quickly shook his head. “I doubt she will ask again. And even if she did, she would receive the same answer I just gave her.”

Nasir gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”

  


* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Means little lion, ancient celtic name


	6. Questions

Agron watched Duro and Nasir carefully as they sparred together. Duro’s moves were slow and practiced; a wooden dagger in his own hand to prevent injury to either of them. It had been nearly three weeks since he’d first given Nasir the wooden practice dagger. Despite Nasir’s initial hesitation to take up a weapon, he truly had taken to it. He practically begged Duro or Agron to spar with him every day, eager to become as good as they were.

Agron knew he would soon enough. He was a fast learner. Agron and Duro had offered to demonstrate to him first, but he had refused. Nasir had said he would learn faster that way. He hadn’t liked it at first, still wary of the idea of wielding a weapon. He followed Agron’s instructions though, and always carried it with him.

He was small and agile, able to easily maneuver around the both of them. Agron had originally thought that it might be a disadvantage for the Syrian, but he managed to turn it to him benefit. He could dodge most of their strikes, and deliver in kind easily. He growled and hissed, baring his teeth every time Duro’s wooden dagger made contact with his skin.

He laughed under his breath, thinking how similar Nasir was to a wild little dog. Agron had taken to calling him that whenever he sparred with him. The little nickname spurned Nasir on further, getting him to attack whenever he hesitated. Duro’s main part of sparring with him was to teach him how to spar with one with a build similar to him.

Agron had a different goal. He was almost a foot taller than Nasir, heavier, and had more muscle, despite being only thirteen. He needed to teach Nasir how to defend himself against an opponent who was stronger and bigger than he was. Agron did subtle things, to make Nasir turn his own advantages against him. Goading and teasing, taunting, all of it, to make Nasir attack him.

His other goal was to teach Nasir _how_ to attack without hesitation. The Syrian had a kind heart, one that he feared an enemy would take advantage of. Use it against him, make Nasir hesitate, and in his hesitation, his enemy would take advantage of it. He didn’t even want to think of how horrible the consequences could be.

But he had to. It was his job. To protect both Nasir and Duro.

Nasir managed to whack Duro across his ribs, and Duro cursed, dropping his wooden dagger.  It clattered on the stone floor, and he jumped at Nasir, tackling him to the ground. Nasir made a loud, “Oomf” as he hit the ground, and scrambled to get the upper hand over Duro. Agron laughed out loud as Nasir managed to lock his legs around Duro’s waist, trapping his arms. Duro struggled to get loose, knowing what was coming next.

Nasir began to tickle him, until Duro was a laughing incoherent mess. “Okay, okay!” he managed to get out through his laughs. “You win, you win!!”  Nasir kept going for a minute, then laughed himself, and let loose of Duro. He scrambled away, and threw a glare over his shoulder at Nasir, and then Agron.

“You ass. You had to tell him I was ticklish, didn’t you?”

Agron shrugged, grinning cheekily.

Duro wasn’t amused. “Fucking ass.”

Agron shrugged it off, while Nasir just grinned. Duro stuck out his tongue at the both of them, and picked up the wooden dagger from the floor. Agron turned his attention to Nasir, noticing that his lip had split during their small tussle. “You’re bleeding.” He pointed to Nasir’s lip, and Nasir briefly touched it, surprise on his face when he saw blood on his fingers. “Wet a rag and clean it off.”

Nasir nodded, and did as Agron said. “So where did you disappear off too today?”

He shrugged. “Went for a walk.”

Nasir wiped the drops of blood off his fingers. “See anything while you are out?”

Agron shook his head, and smiled. “Didn’t see anything, but I did find something.”

Both Duro and Nasir cocked their heads, waiting for Agron to elaborate. He grinned wryly, and pulled the hidden dagger from the back of his breeches. Both Duro and Nasir’s eyes widened, and Agron held it out to Nasir. “It’s yours now.”

Nasir hesitantly took it, and drew it out of its sheath. The blade was about six inches long, the hilt a white wood. It was a simple dagger, but it had been forged well. Agron knew better than anyone. His father after all, had been the one who had forged it. He’d made all of their weapons. Duro didn’t know it, but he would tell him one day.

“This is……beautiful.” Nasir held it up, the light from the torches flickering off it.

Agron smiled. “It is.” He held his hand out for the dagger, and Nasir reluctantly handed it back to him.

“Remember, this _is_ a weapon. It can cause grievous injury, even kill, with the right blow. It is yours, if you believe you are ready for it.”

Nasir nodded, his eyes locked on the dagger. “Do you believe I’m ready?”

He nodded, and he saw Duro nodding behind Nasir. “I do, but that wasn’t what I asked. Do _you_ believe yourself ready?” Nasir continued to look at the dagger. “It’s all right if you don’t think yourself ready.”

Nasir quickly shook his head. “No, I do. I just didn’t think you thought I was.”

Agron grinned, and handed the dagger back to Nasir. He strapped the sheath to the belt around his waist, and then sat down, inspecting the dagger some more.

Duro sat down next to Nasir, his eyes on the dagger as well. “Where did you get this _bruder_? It looks of the same make as my own.”

He was careful with his words. “I got it in the same place I got yours. It is of the same make, but it is not in the Roman style. It is that of our homeland.”

Nasir’s eyes flicked to him as he finished, then back to his dagger with new appreciation. Agron smiled, and sat down across from the boys.

“You still have not answered my question _bruder_.” Duro was looking at him pointedly, the burning question in his eyes, and a flicker of recognition. No. There was no way that Duro recognized the dagger. He’d been too young. He’d blocked most of the memories out.

“Yes, _bruder_ , I have. I told you that I got it where I got yours.” He looked Duro firmly in the eye.

Duro boldly looked back, his disbelief etched on his face. “I expect a better answer eventually _bruder_.”

“Leave him be Duro.” Nasir tore his gaze from his dagger to look at the both of them. “He’ll tell us eventually.”

Agron pursed his lips and crossed his arms. “And what makes you think that I will tell you eventually?”

Nasir shrugged. “I just do. One does not come by weapons-“ He held up his dagger “-Especially ones like _these_ , by accident. You can keep it from us for now. I may not have been here long, but I’ve noticed that you only tend to keep things from us with good reason.”

Agron was still not used to how Nasir noticed almost everything going on around him, without even giving the slightest hint of noticing it in the first place.

Nasir shared a look with Duro, before looking back to Agron. “I only think it fair to give you that for now.”

Duro rolled his eyes, but nodded in agreement. “Very well.” He threw a hard look at Agron, and shook his finger at him. “Someday though _bruder_ , you will tell us. We’re fast approaching the time when you will no longer be able to keep things from us.”

Agron snorted. “You have just passed your tenth year. It is still six more before you are considered a man. Therefore, you have six more years before I’m _required_ to tell you everything. Until then, everything I tell you is a _privilege_.” He hated having to act as such an ass, but it was the best thing for both Nasir and Duro.

Duro made a face at him, and then looked curiously at Nasir. “How old are you? You can’t be older than me? At least you don’t look it.”

Duro realized his mistake too late, and mentally slapped himself as Nasir looked down sadly at his hands, biting his lip. Why had he not thought before he had spoken? Agron was always trying to get him to think before he spoke. Fuck. Nasir had been a slave most of his life from what he and Agron knew. There was little chance he did know his age, if there was any chance at all.

 “I-I…ummm…” Nasir wouldn’t look up at either of them, trying to hide the pained look in his eyes.

Duro cast a glance at Agron, not knowing how to fix what he said, and pleading for help from his brother.

Agron nodded, and moved so that he was crouching in front of Nasir. “Nasir?”

Nasir glanced up at him for a moment, before dropping his eyes back to his hands.

“It’s all right. Don’t concern yourself with it if it bothers you,” Agron told Nasir softly. “We can….we can…ummmm.” Fuck. He didn’t know how to fix this.

“I shouldn’t have asked. Apologies Nasir,” Duro said, trying to give Agron time to straighten his thoughts. He bit his own lip, his regret clearly etched on his face.

Nasir slowly shook his head. “No….it’s…..ummm….I…” He paused, trying to collect his thoughts. Why was he so upset? Strangely enough, he did actually know his age. Or at least he thought he did. He’d been sold to several slavers over the years, and from what he could tell, they had never lied about his age. It wasn’t in the slavers advantage to lie about it. He was no fool. He knew how much he was worth, how his beauty only added to it, as did his youth.

Gods know that his youth had _never_ once protected him. The shits who had captured him hadn’t cared. His former masters hadn’t cared. The men who had forced themselves upon him hadn’t cared.

But Duro and Agron did care. For an entirely different reason. They cared, because that was who they were. They actually gave a damn about him.

“I’m the same age as Duro.” His words were soft, Agron and Duro dead silent as they strained to hear them. “I don’t know the exact day, but I believe I was born in the winter months.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “At least, that’s when the slavers would increase it, if I was up for sale. It was in their benefit, to tell those at auction the truth. The law…the law said, that if the slaver lied, I could be returned to them, and the slaver would have to give my master back all his coin.” His words were even softer, distant and far off. “I _never_ wanted to be sold back.”

Duro’s regret had quickly turned to over whelming guilt. He hadn’t meant to make Nasir think back to his days as a slave. He hadn’t wanted to make Nasir think back to those awful memories.

“Nasir, a-apologies….I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Nasir looked up at Duro, and smiled kindly. “Don’t. You didn’t know. It….it’s all right.”

Duro still didn’t look convinced.

Nasir shook his head, a small laugh escaping his lips. “Really Duro. It’s all right. I’m not angry.”

Duro cast his eyes to the floor. “But I still upset you.”

“No!” Nasir sighed. “You didn’t upset me. You just surprised me, that is all. I-I suppose I’m still not used to having others care about me.”

Both Agron and Duro’s faces darkened slightly.

Nasir groaned. “Now _you’re_ both angry.”

Agron nodded, not denying his own anger. “How could we not be? It was cruel what they did to you Nasir. Keeping slaves is just….horrible. The Romans thrive on it, but our parents taught us better. They never kept slaves in Germania. At least the city where my parents came from forbade it. I’ll admit to knowing little of the other cities, but I believe many have the same laws.”

Nasir took a deep breath and shifted awkwardly. Talk of slavery always made him uncomfortable. He knew it would for a long time, if not the rest of his life.

“I can’t imagine what you endured Nasir-“

Nasir cut him off. “Nor would I have you try to.” He shuddered involuntarily. “I spend every day trying to forget.”

“Nasir-“

“Stop!” He hadn’t meant to shout. Agron and Duro looked startled. Nasir had never risen his voice to them before. “Please,” he pleaded softly. “Stop. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t even want to think about it. I just want to forget. That’s all I want to do.” Nasir gave them both pleading looks, praying to whatever gods out there, that they would cease discussion on the topic. “Please.”

He could see the apologies forming on their lips, and quickly added, “Please don’t apologize for it.”

Agron and Duro both looked sheepish, but nodded. They both backed off slightly, knowing that Nasir was feeling uncomfortable. Duro absently pulled out his own dagger, and examined the edge of it. He pulled out his whetting stone, and began to sharpen the blade.

Agron watched Nasir take a deep breath, trying to clear the unfortunate memories from his head. The Syrian took another one, still trying to clear his head.

Nasir turned his eyes to Duro, desperately trying to distract himself.

Duro quickly noticed. “We’ll teach you how to sharpen your dagger, if you like.”

Nasir nodded. “Maybe another time though. Mine is quite sharp for now.”

Agron smiled. “It will stay sharp for a long time, if the gods favor you.”

Nasir attempted to smile, but it was half-hearted. He was still distracted. Lost as well, if Agron could read his eyes correctly.

Agron cocked his head to the side. “Did you hear that?” Nasir still looked distracted, and Duro gave him a strange look. “Nasir, come with me will you? We’ll see what is out there.”

He stood up, and waited for Nasir to join him. Nasir didn’t move. “Nasir.” Nasir finally looked up at him. “Come with me.”

Nasir nodded, and slowly stood up. Agron pulled the blanket aside, waiting for Nasir to walk out first. He followed Nasir once he stepped out.

“Which way do you think the noise came from?” Nasir asked.

He pointed down the tunnels, towards the entrance to the cisterns. “I think that way. Let’s go have a look.” Agron led the way, knowing that Nasir would follow him. He pretended to be looking for the cause of the noise, looking from side to side, peering into the tunnels that branched off from the main one they were on.

He took a few more steps, and then realized that his footsteps were the only ones echoing off the stone walls. He turned around to look for Nasir. He was leaning against one of the stone pillars, his expression unreadable in the dim light of the torches.

“Nasir?”

“What are we doing Agron? There was no noise.”

“I really can’t hide anything from you, can I?”

Nasir snorted, and rolled his eyes. “Yet you keep trying to.” There was no teasing in his voice. He was genuinely irritated. “What are we doing Agron? I’ve no mood to play games right now.”

Agron ran his hand over his dreadlocks, sighing. “You know where the entrance to the cisterns is?”

Nasir nodded, unsure of where Agron was going.

“You know how to get back home from it?”

He nodded again, confused.

“If you need time to think and sort your thoughts, I’d understand. The only thing I ask is that you return by nightfall.”

The confusion was clear on his face. “You think it safe for me to go out by myself?”

Agron smiled at him softly, and put his hands on Nasir’s shoulders. “You’re clever, and fast. You have a real weapon, and you have much skill with it, despite being new to it. You’ll be safe on your own, if you want the space.”

Nasir dropped his eyes, and Agron leaned down so that he could look him in the eye. “Only go if you want to. Each person deals with their inner demons their own way. You’ve hardly had a moment to yourself since you were freed. Things can get overwhelming, and fester if not dealt with.” Nasir bit the inside of his lip. Agron took Nasir’s chin, and gently lifted it, making sure Nasir was looking at him. “Take advice from one who has lived it Nasir. You don’t want that anger and confusion in you.”

Agron let go of Nasir’s chin and stepped back. Nasir sighed and leaned heavily against the stone pillar. “Whatever you choose, please return by nightfall.” He smiled at him softly, and Nasir hesitantly returned it, but other than that he didn’t move.

Agron slowly walked back down the tunnels. His footsteps were still the only ones that echoed off the stone walls. He didn’t look back once, except when he reached the entrance to their home. Nasir was still leaning against the pillar, the light barely illuminating him in the dark tunnels. Duro must have heard him approach, because he joined him a moment later.

Duro looked down at Nasir sadly, and then up to Agron. “ _Ich wollte ihn nicht aufregen.” **[1]**_

Agron glanced at Duro. “ _Das weiß, ich doch, Duro. Es war ein Versehen_.”[2]

“ _Ist alles in Ordnung mit ihm? Ich meine, ich weiß, dass jetzt gerade nichts in Ordnung ist, aber glaubst du, es wird in Ordnung kommen?_ _ **[3]**_ _”_ Duro worriedly asked.

Agron looked at Nasir one last time, and then jerked his head into their home. Nasir would make his own decision in time.

 _“_ _Ich weiß es nicht, Duro. Ich wünschte, ich wüsste es. Er hat tiefe Wunden davongetragen, die lange Zeit brauchen werden, um zu heilen. Nasir versteckt sie gut vor uns, aber er selbst kann sich nicht vor ihnen verstecken_.”[4]

Duro looked glanced worriedly at the door. _“_ _Das ist nicht gerecht. Er sollte nicht alleine damit zurechtkommen müssen. Wir sind doch jetzt seine Familie. Wir sollten ihm helfen, das alles durchzustehen und ihn nicht einfach so sich selbst überlassen. Wir müssen ihm nach_ _..._ ”[5] He tried to run out the door, after Nasir. Agron grabbed him before he got out the door, and yanked him firmly back into their room.

 _“_ _Nein Bruder! Er muss das zuerst mit sich alleine ausmachen! Er wird mit uns reden, wenn er dazu bereit ist._ _” **[6]**_ Duro struggled against him, trying to get loose. “ _Ich weiß, dass es nicht richtig scheint, Duro. Ich weiß das. Aber Nasir muss da jetzt durch. Er muss zuerst Ordnung in seine Gedanken bekommen, bevor wir überhaupt nur davon träumen können, ihm zu helfen_ _._ ”[7]

“You’re fucking right this doesn’t seem right!” Duro was so angry that he abandoned their mother tongue, reverting to the common tongue to more usefully curse him out.

“Keep your voice down _bruder_! “

“No I fucking won’t keep my voice down!”

Agron clamped his hand over Duro’s mouth. “Yes you will. Now listen to me you fucking idiot. Nasir needs time to himself to sort out his thoughts, and we will give him that. When he returns, _he_ will decide if he _wants_ to talk to us about it or not. Either way it is _his_ decision and whatever it is _we_ will honor it. Understand?”

Duro glared at Agron over his hand, his brow furrowed angrily. Agron glared right back at him. It was several minutes before Duro let out a loud huff, and stiffly nodded his head. “Fine.” His voice was muffled, but Agron took it as a sign he was done shouting for the moment.

“Gratitude _bruder_.”

Duro grunted, and stomped over to his bedroll. He whipped out his dagger and whetting stone, and resumed sharpening his dagger with more force than necessary. Agron groaned, not having the energy to deal with Duro’s anger at him. Duro was too young to understand where he was coming from.

All Duro understood was family, and firmly believed that everything could be solved if they talked together. Agron wished he could believe the same thing, but he knew better. Or worse. He couldn’t decide yet.

  


* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] I didn’t mean to upset him.
> 
> [2] I know you didn’t Duro. It was an accident.
> 
> [3] Is he okay? I mean I know he’s not okay right now, but do you think he will be?
> 
> [4] I don't know Duro. I wish I did. He bears deep scars, ones that will take time to heal. Nasir hides them from us well, but he can't hide from them.
> 
> [5] It's not fair. He shouldn't be doing this on his own. We're his family now. We should be helping him through this, not leaving him on his own like this. We have to go after him...
> 
> [6] No brother! We have to let him do this on his own first! He'll talk to us once he is ready to.
> 
> [7] I know it doesn't seem right Duro. I know it doesn't. But this is what Nasir has to do. He has to straighten his thoughts out first, before we can even dream to help him.


	7. Mothering

He could hear the bits of German float down the tunnel. Duro and Agron were arguing about something. Him if he was right.

Nasir glanced down the tunnels, toward the entrance. He let out a deep breath and took off towards it. Agron was right. He needed time to himself. Time to sort his thoughts out.

He didn’t stop running until he reached the river Agron and Duro had brought him to the first time they had left the cisterns.

He splashed into the water, until it was up to his waist. He angrily hit at it, making the water fly in every direction, the drops sparkling in the bright midday sun.

“Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.” He angrily stomped out of the water, and paced up and down the bank, too restless to sit still.

He wasn’t angry at Duro or Agron. He could never be angry at them, not after all they had done for him. He was angry at his life, at everything he had been forced to survive. He vividly remembered being captured when he was young. The slavers had swept into the village like the sea did over rocks: unstoppable, determined, and deadly. He remembered his brother taking his hand, trying to run away from the slavers.

The slavers caught up with them before they could get far. His brother had shoved Nasir behind him, desperately trying to protect him. He yelled at the slavers to stay away from Nasir. Begged for them to let Nasir go free, in exchange for his own life. Nasir had held onto his brother, pressing his face into his back, terrified.

The slavers had only laughed cruelly, and mocked them in a foreign tongue. The next thing he knew, two slavers had grabbed him from behind, and dragged him away from his brother. He’d screamed and kicked out, begging his brother to help him.

Only one slaver had grabbed his brother, and his brother easily broke free of the slavers grasp, running toward Nasir. He screamed at the slavers to let Nasir go. Nasir had frantically ripped one of his arms loose of the slavers, and his brother had grabbed him, trying to pull him free. The slaver that his brother had escaped from grabbed his brother again, trying to pull him away from Nasir. They’d held on tight to each other, tears streaming down both their faces.

They were roughly pulled apart, and dragged away from each other. They held each other eyes, and Nasir begged to the gods to let this all be a nightmare, to let him wake up, and find his brother sleeping next to him. Their wouldn’t be slavers in the village, it’d be the middle of the night, and he’d be in his bed.

But he never woke up. It was real. He was placed in chains, and thrown into a metal cage. He didn’t know what was happening. All he knew was that he was scared, and alone. His eyes were constantly looking for his brother, hoping against all odds that he would be reunited with him.

He didn’t understand the foreign tongue the slavers spoke in. It was rough, and not at all similar to his mother tongue. He often found the slavers looking at him, their eyes unfriendly. He curled up in a corner, as far away from the slavers as he could manage.

He was hungry and thirsty. His only food was bread almost as hard as rocks, and water that tasted bitter and smelled foul.

He didn’t know how long after he’d been captured, but an unfamiliar slaver came into the cage one day. He had a plate of food with him and a cup. He smiled and handed it to Nasir. He knew not to trust them, but he was so hungry and thirsty that he didn’t even have the energy to be defiant.

The slavers eyes roamed over him as he’d eaten. “ _You are very beautiful_.”

If only he’d been able to understand how those four words would shape his life.

Nasir picked up a rock and chucked it into the river. It made a loud splash as it broke the flowing water, but it wasn’t at all satisfying.

He wasn’t ignorant. He _knew_ why the brothel owner had taken such an interest in him. And he hated every Roman all the more for it. He didn’t understand why people could do such things to him. A fucking child. He kicked angrily at another stone, and sent it flying across the rocky beach.

He’d always been good at hiding his emotions from others, more so since he’d been captured as a slave. It still surprised him that Agron had seen through his façade. Few could, if any. The two German boys had managed to break it down though.

They hadn’t even known him, but yet they’d risked their lives to free him. He’d been terrified the entire time, not knowing why Agron and Duro had freed them. His greatest fear had been that they had freed him of his chains, simply to try and turn him into their own slave.

But they hadn’t. They’d only wanted a better life for him. A stranger they hadn’t even _known_.

He suddenly felt overwhelmed, and collapsed to the ground, wrapping his arms around his legs. Tears came fast and hard.

He cried quietly for long minutes, his arms wrapped tightly around himself.

Tears poured down his face, falling onto his bare chest and the rocks below him. It was fruitless to wipe at them, as they refused to stop.

He hated, _hated_ , not remembering anything from his homeland. He had no memories of his mother or father. The only memory he had of his brother was of the day they were captured years before. He didn’t even remember his own brother’s _name_. What kind of person was he? His brother had tried to save his life, and how did he repay his brothers selflessness? By forgetting his name. Even his likeness was but a fleeting memory.

The Romans had stripped him of everything. They’d taken his innocence. Taken his name from him for so long. Beat him if he dared to speak in his mother tongue, until he abandoned it to preserve his life.

He heard some rocks move behind him, and he immediately jumped to his feet, drawing his dagger.

Sura was standing there, looking concerned and sad.

“Apologies Nasir. I did not mean to startle you.” She smiled at him, her eyes flicking to the disturbed rocks lying near his feet. “I was on my way home, and heard shouting as I came closer.”

Nasir nodded, sheathing his dagger. He didn’t know what to say, so instead sat down on one of the sandy patches of the river bank. He watched the water, and Sura kneeled down next to him.

“Are you hurt, Nasir?” The worry in her voice brought tears to his eyes again, and he shook his head quickly, letting his hair fall over his face.

“I-I’m fine.” He hated how his voice broke, and gave him away. Sura smiled sadly at him, and sat down next to him.

“I can stay if you wish.”

Nasir was already angry and confused, so took it out on Sura. “I don’t need you to protect me. I’m not helpless!”

Sura wasn’t fazed at all. “I did not mean to imply that.”

“Then why would you stay?”

Sura smiled, and brushed his hair away from his face. “Because you look like a person who doesn’t want to be alone right now, but at the same time does.”

Nasir looked at his feet, ashamed of himself. “Apologies,” he whispered quietly.

Sura wrapped her arms around Nasir, and pulled him close. “None required.”

Nasir gripped at her tightly as tears came again. He didn’t say anything, and neither did she. She just held him, offering her own form of comfort, one neither Agron nor Duro could give him. She rocked him, gently brushing his tears away.

She was the closest thing to a mother he could imagine.

His body shook with the force of his crying, and Sura held him tighter. His hair fell over his eyes, and she tucked it back behind his ear with a smile.

When his crying started to slow, she gently cupped his face, lifting it so she could look into his eyes. “Hey,” she said quietly. “It’s alright now.” Sura hesitated for a moment, knowing she was about to tread the ground that had had him in tears not moments before. “I know you can never forget what has been done to you. But I want you to think.” She paused for a moment, and wiped her thumbs across his cheeks. “You have Agron and Duro now. They see you as their brother. You have Spartacus and me. You even have Crixus. We’re your family. You’ll always have us.”

He nodded, and wiped at his eyes.

“We all love you. You don’t have to do this alone. Not if you don’t want to.”

He hiccupped and nodded again. Sura smiled quietly, and Nasir noticed a tear fall down her face. She reached over the side of her, and picked up her water skin. “Drink,” she ordered him.

He took a small sip, and hiccupped again. Sura let out a small laugh, and held her arms out to him again. Nasir gratefully fell back into them, the occasional tear falling down his face.

They were both quiet for a long time, neither one speaking. Sura was patient, knowing Nasir wanted to speak, but was trying to collect his thoughts.

She spoke quietly, and hesitantly. “What caused this Nasir? Did….did they say something?”

Nasir shook his head. “No! They didn’t say anything. Well, Duro did, but it was an accident. Neither one of them realized...Agron did after though.” He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “Agron….he noticed. He talked to me….said if I needed time to think to…to take it.”

“So you came out here?” Sura asked.

Nasir nodded. “It’s the only place I knew to come.” He looked around at the river briefly. His mind was less clouded now, and he was able to start processing small things once more. The sun was shining brightly, warming the rocks that he was sitting on. It reflected off the clear water of the river, where it flowed smoothly. He could hear it washing gently up on the rocks, the sound soothing and calming. The wind was blowing lightly, occasionally whipping his hair up. “It’s peaceful here,” he said quietly, closing his eyes.

“It is,” Sura agreed.

“I was angry,” Nasir began, his eyes still closed. “Not at them,” he added quickly. “I was just…angry. It’s stupid, really. All Duro asked me, was how old I am.”

“Is that what upset you?” Sura asked, not bothering to hide her concern.

Nasir shook his head. “No it wasn’t. I grew angry because…” He took another deep breath. “I’d almost forgotten. That I’d been a slave, that is. That I’d been torn from my homeland. My life destroyed. Agron and Duro, they _helped_ me forget. I’d almost forgotten everything, like I’ve been wanting to for so long.”

He opened his eyes when Sura brushed a stray tear away. “Duro and Agron were bickering-“

Sura laughed, “Per usual.”

Nasir smiled. “Per usual,” he echoed. “Agron told Duro that until he became a man, he was not required to tell Duro everything he demanded to know. Then Duro asked me how old I was.”

Sura tsked. Duro’s mouth was always causing trouble. He had yet to master the talent of letting his words pass through his head, before he allowed them to pass his lips.

“Duro realized too late that it would upset me. _I_ didn’t even realize that it would upset me. But it did. I’m still trying to understand why.” He took another breath to steady himself. “I think I partially understand why, but I’m not sure.”

Sura removed her arms from around him, placing them on his shoulders instead, gently pushing him so he could see her face. She smiled warmly at him, and brushed his long bangs from his face. “Perhaps I can help you understand.”

Her dark eyes were intent on him, and he met them for a few moments, before he looked away. Her eyes always seemed to see more than he could ever say. He did not think it was bad, but he felt to open and exposed right now.

Sura knew well enough that few people could meet her eyes, so she did not take it as insult. She allowed him to look away, although she never took her eyes off of him. “Tell me your thoughts,” she said gently.

Nasir gave a small nod of his head. “I’m Duro’s age. I do know that much. I was born in the winter months. At least I think I was. I was up for sale twice in those months, a few years apart. My age was always consistent. It never increased or decreased drastically.” His eyes grew dark, and his body stiffened. “It wasn’t in the slavers interest to lie. Roman law said that if he lied, and my master found out, I could be sold back to the slaver.”

He looked away from Sura again, once more unable to meet her eyes, but for a different reason.

“The slaver was cruel. He would beat us, if we spoke any language than that of Rome. I didn’t understand though. I’d only ever known my mother language. Only one of them ever spoke to me in my language.” He shuddered, as the man’s words poisoned his thoughts. “He told me I was beautiful.” He spat the words out.

“I didn’t understand what he meant.” Nasir shuddered again. “Not until after…..after...” He swallowed, feeling the bile rise in his throat. Another tear escaped his eyes.

Sura held him tight again, and Nasir was unable to continue. She wasn’t a fool. She knew what he meant. She rocked him gently once more as tears poured down his face. “Shhhh…shhhhh….It’s alright. They can’t hurt you anymore. They never will again. You’re safe here, Nasir. You’re safe with us.”

Nasir clutched at her, his tears dripping onto her dress. He’d held everything in for so long, built up a dam to hold it all back. But its stone foundations had crumbled, and the memories behind them now rushed out.

He sniffled. His voice was broken as he spoke, “I’m sorry Sura.” He wiped at his eyes.

She pulled back slightly, looking down at him. “No!” she told him firmly. “Don’t apologize for anything. None of this is your fault, and I would not have you feel guilt or apologize for it.”

Sura held him close again, thumbing away the tears from his face. He closed his eyes, listening to all the sounds around him. Sura absently brushed at his hair, soothing his trembling body.

“I envy them,” he whispered. “They have memories of their parents. They know how old they are. When they were born. Where they were born. Their parents gave them knowledge of their home, taught them everything. They know _who_ they _are_. I don’t. The Romans took everything from me. They tore me from my homeland, gave me a different name. I’d almost forgotten my own _name_ , by the time Agron and Duro saved me. Until Agron asked me it.”

Sura’s smile went unnoticed, as Nasir’s shaking began to slow.

“You’re angry,” Sura began, thinking out loud. “And rightfully so. They tried to take everything from you.” She paused for a moment. “But they _didn’t_ Nasir, no matter how much you may think they did.”

He scrunched his face up as he looked at her.

“They haven’t taken everything from you,” she repeated. She pushed him to sit up straight. “I can see it. When the Romans have changed a person. When they do so, they kill them. They leave only the shell behind. And in it, they are broken, defeated. They’ve given over their lives to the Romans.” She held her hand over his heart. “You are neither broken nor defeated.”

“Then what am I?” he asked sadly.

She gave him a sad smile. “You are strong. You are still _you_ , Nasir. They haven’t taken that from you. They never will.  They tried to turn you to their purpose. Tried to make you into an obedient Roman slave. But they didn’t. Agron has spoken of this fire in you, one that I see every day.  They didn’t take it away from you.”

She smiled mischievously. “A fire that, I fear, two certain Germans will gladly stoke and give further life to.”

Nasir laughed. A genuine one this time.

“You are not nothing Nasir,” she reminded him. “You know _who_ you are. The Romans, the Syrians, the Gods themselves could not take that away from you, so long as you do not forget that.” She brushed his bangs from his eyes, “They haven’t taken everything from you.”

Nasir sniffled, but nodded.

“Something I’m sure two Germans will happily remind you of.”

Nasir smiled lightly. He dropped his eyes for a second, looking at his hands. “Do they really see me as a brother?” he asked quietly.

Sura was startled for a moment. She’d honestly thought Nasir had already known that. She gently lifted his chin, so that his dark eyes met her own. “Of course they do. You are a family, and nothing will change that.”

He nodded, his heart swelling at the thought. He let out a deep breath, the day’s exhaustion catching up to him. Sura easily saw it, and helped Nasir to his feet. “Do you wish to return? Or we can stay a while longer if you wish.” She looked to the sky, as did he. Nasir was surprised to see the sun low in the sky. It must have been hours since he’d run from the cisterns.

“No- I mean yes, lets return. I promised Agron I would return before the sun had set.”

Sura nodded, and picked her bag from the ground. She took his hand in her own, squeezing it slightly. “Then let’s get you back. No need to cause him any more worry.”

They walked together silently, the setting sun at their backs. Nasir was thinking, his eyes on the ground, but not really seeing. He stumbled over a rock, and Sura quickly caught him before he fell.

“What distracts you?” she asked as she steadied him.

“Should I tell them?” Nasir asked her, completely uncertain if he should or not. Would they see him as selfish, for envying them? Or see him as less, for what those men had done to him?

Sura gave him a reassuring smile. “That is up to you Nasir.” Nasir bit his lower lip, flicking his eyes to the cisterns. “They will not judge you.” Nasir looked back at her. “They have been through much Nasir, just as you have. They will understand, if you choose to tell them. They will also respect you, if you do not wish to tell them yet.”

Nasir let out a shaky breath, and gave a small nod of his head. Sura took his hand again, and they continued on their way back to the cisterns.

Nasir yawned widely as he climbed down the ladder after Sura, rubbing at his eyes. He was exhausted. He blindly followed Sura back to their corner of the cisterns. As they got closer, Nasir began to hear their muffled voices, speaking in both German and the common tongue. It didn’t sound like they were arguing anymore at least.

Nasir took a deep breath as he pushed aside the blanket and stepped inside, Sura following behind them. Both Agron and Duro quickly jumped to their feet.

“We were starting to worry, Nasir,” Agron said, glancing at Sura.

“I promised I would be back by sundown,” Nasir replied tiredly.

Agron opened his mouth to speak once more, but shut it, when Sura shook her head at him, completely unnoticed by Nasir. She nudged him toward the corner where all their bedrolls were. “Go to sleep,” she softly told him.

He need no more urging, rubbing at his eyes and yawning once more as he all but fell to it. He undid his sandals and tossed them aside. He pulled his blanket up over him, and turned his back to them all, trying to block the light from hitting his face.

Agron watched him, concern all over his face, as it was on Duro’s. They looked to Sura, hoping she could shed some light on what had happened in the hours Nasir had been gone.

“Put out the candles, so that he can sleep. He’s had a long day,” Sura ordered them quietly. They quickly complied, blowing out every candle except for the one in the holder hanging from the ceiling. Sura held the blanket aside, motioning for them to follow her. They both glanced at Nasir, his back still turned to them, before they followed her out.

She held up her hand to them, before they even opened their mouths. “Keep your voices low, and do not shout. It will wake him.” She gave them a hard look, and they nodded in agreement. “We talked, that is all. It is up to him if he wishes to tell you what he told me. Give him time, and I believe he will.”

Agron let out a deep breath, and nodded. “We’ve already discussed that. We’re in agreement not to push him for what he does not wish to say yet.”

Sura gave an approving smile. “Good. For now let him rest. He’s exhausted.”

“And tomorrow?” Duro asked.

“You leave him be. You don’t ask questions. You carry on, as you normally would.” Sura hesitated, for a moment, her eyes looking over the boy’s shoulders. As far as she was concerned, it was Nasir’s story, and he alone had the right to share it. She would not betray his trust. “He has been a slave most of his life. You have given him the greatest gift, but now he must deal with that which he has never had to.”

She didn’t need to go further. Sura knew that Agron had an idea of what Nasir was trying to cope with, even though it was far from the whole. He would not have given Nasir his advice if he hadn’t. Duro nodded, and she inferred that he had an inkling as well.

“Gratitude, Sura,” Agron said.

“Of course.” She smiled at the both of them. “He is my family as well, just as you both are.” With that she turned and left.

Agron and Duro were quiet as they reentered their home. Nasir still had his back turned to them, but he was breathing deep and even, signaling that he was deep asleep. They were both tired as well, and gratefully fell to their own beds. Duro was asleep not minutes later, but Agron stayed awake a while longer, once more watching the both of them.


	8. Dehydration

They never spoke about that day. Nasir didn’t want to talk about it. He wasn’t ready to, and was grateful both Agron and Duro respected his decision.

The hottest months of the year soon arrived, and with it, the rains slowed, as they did every year according to Agron and Duro. They stocked up on water long before hand, knowing full well the consequences if they did not.

They started to spend the hottest parts of the day in the cool cisterns, avoiding the blistering heat and dry dust that accompanied it. They rarely ventured out under the midday sun, choosing to go in the early morning or late afternoon instead.

Nasir was still trying to become accustomed to the heat. Both Duro and Agron advised him on how to best deal with it, but he knew he had to let his body adapt to it on its own, and that it would take time before it did so.

One day, both he and Duro ventured out to the market. It was the mid morning, but it was already unusually warm. Agron was helping Crixus and Spartacus with something, but he trusted them both to go to the market together, as long as they promised not to cause trouble. They both gave him insulted looks, and Agron rolled his eyes. “Behave,” he ordered them sternly, before he left.

They wandered about, their eyes always looking out for anything new and exciting. There was nothing today, and they paused for a moment in one of the alleyways, in the cool shade. Nasir leaned against the cool stone, feeling slightly unsteady, his head beginning to ache.

Duro quickly noticed. “Are you alright?”

Nasir slid down the rough wall, his legs suddenly unable to support him. “I-I don’t know,” he said shakily, his head in his hands.

Duro kneeled in front of him, taking Nasir’s face in his hands. “Your skin is _burning_ Nasir.”

Nasir shook his head. “It’s just the heat. I’ll be okay. Just need to rest for a few moments.”

Duro was far from convinced. He knew the signs of heat stroke. He loosened his water skin, and gently pried Nasir’s hands from his face. “Drink this. Now. _All_ of it. Then we need to get you home.”

Nasir’s hands were shaky, and he spilled some of the water before it could pass his lips. Duro put his hands over Nasir’s, steadying them so he could drink. The Syrian coughed slightly, some water spilling from his mouth.

Duro tied the water skin back to his belt, and pulled Nasir to his feet. He wobbled, clutching at his head again. Duro wrapped one arm around Nasir’s waist, and pulled Nasir’s arm over his shoulders. “Don’t look at the sun,” Duro told him. “It’ll make you sick.”

Nasir nodded, closing his eyes, trusting Duro to guide him back home safely. He could barely walk, and Duro had to keep a tight grip on him, so that he could stay on his feet. Duro was worried, and wanted to get Nasir back to Agron as fast as he could.

With a jolt, Duro realized that he might not be able to find Agron. He had no clue as to where he, Spartacus, and Crixus had gone. He would have to find Sura, and pray that she knew where they had gone.

Nasir groaned slightly, his feet giving out under him as they left the city. “Nasir!” Duro shouted, trying to keep Nasir up on his feet. Nasir groaned again, pressing his face into Duro’s shoulders.

Duro half dragged him to a nearby boulder, under one of the scant trees. “Nasir? Nasir!” He set Nasir down on the boulder, afraid to let him sit on the ground, since he was not sure if he could pull him back up if he did. “Hey, look at me okay?” Nasir wearily lifted his eyes to look at him. They were hazy and unclear.

“We’re not far from home. Just a little further, and then you can rest. I’ll get Agron and Sura once we get there, and they’ll find something to make you feel better. We just have to go a little further, okay?”

Nasir nodded, but Duro wasn’t sure if he understood what he was saying or not. Regardless, he pulled Nasir to his feet once more, and went as fast as he possibly could. They nearly fell down the ladder into the cisterns, but somehow they got down it with no broken bones or other serious injury.

He finally managed to get Nasir home. He quickly laid Nasir down on his bedroll, and grabbed the first water skin he could find. Duro pulled Nasir up so that he was sitting, and uncorked the skin. “Drink, now,” he ordered again, putting the skin to Nasir’s lips. Nasir drank deeply, coughing as he finished the last of it.

He helped Nasir lay back down, and pulled Nasir’s blanket over him. He grabbed another water skin, and laid it next to Nasir. “I’m going to find Sura. She’ll know where Agron’s gone. I’ll return as soon as I can,” Duro quickly told him. “Drink more water if you can.”

Nasir gave him a weak nod, his eyes closed as he curled up under his blanket. Duro got to his feet and ran from their room, down to where he prayed Sura was. “Sura!” He shouted down the tunnels, his voicing echoing loudly off its stone walls. “SURA!” He ran into her full force as she emerged from the corner of the tunnels she called home. She just managed to catch him, grabbing him around the waist and swinging him around so that he landed on his feet.

“Duro? What’s happened?!”

Duro was panting. “N-Nasir. He’s sick. The heats gotten to him. I have to find Agron!” He grabbed her hand, tugging her towards their home. “Tell me where Agron is, and I’ll find him. You have to help Nasir. Please.”

She grabbed Duro, and held him firmly by his arms. “Duro.” She commanded his attention. “Calm down. Everything is going to be alright.” Duro nodded, but tried to break loose of her hold. Sura tightened her grip on Duro. “Listen to me right now. Go back to Nasir. Pour some water on a cloth, and bathe his forehead. It’ll help with his fever. Get him to drink if you can. It will be faster if I get Agron.”

Duro was barely listening to her.

“DURO!” He jumped slightly, and looked up at her. “Do as I said! Now go!” She pushed him back the way he came, and he immediately took off running.

She must have taken off running in the other direction, but he didn’t notice. He found Nasir curled up still, coughing slightly, his hands gripping at his head.

“Where’s Agron?” Nasir asked quietly, his words slurred slightly.

Duro grabbed a cloth, and sat next to Nasir. “Sura went to find him. They’ll be here soon.” He poured some water on the cloth, and laid it on Nasir’s burning forehead. Nasir groaned again. “Have you had any water since I left?”

Nasir shook his head slightly. His head was hurting horribly, and any movement or noise only made it worse.

Duro sighed, and uncorked the water skin again. “Please drink something. It’s the only thing that will help.”

Nasir refused though, burying his head in his hands and blankets, trying to block out the light. The wet cloth fell from his forehead, and Duro picked it back up, pouring cool water onto it again. He held it to Nasir’s forehead, and worriedly waited for Agron to return.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t scared. Neither he nor Agron had ever been seriously sick, and they’d never even seen Nasir so much as have a headache. He mentally berated himself. He never should have asked Nasir if he’d go to market with him that close to midday. He should have waited, and they could have gone after it had passed. Then Nasir wouldn’t be like this – fighting a fever, sick from the heat.

He’d seen Nasir as his brother hours after they had freed him. It didn’t matter that they didn’t share blood. Nasir was his family. He knew Nasir would recover, but he was still scared. He had few memories of his mother and father, but he still felt the pain of losing them. His greatest fear was to lose another that he held as family.

~~*~~

Sura ran as fast as she could through the tunnels, shouting for Agron. She ran into Spartacus first, nearly knocking him over.

“What is it that has you in such a frenzy?” he asked her.

“Nasir is sick. Where’s Agron?” she breathlessly told him.

Spartacus needed no further prompt, he shouted down the tunnels for Agron, and he emerged from one of them a moment later.

“What has you shouting so loud?” he demanded of Spartacus. “The gods themselves can hear you!”

Spartacus looked at Sura. “Nasir is sick,” she quickly told him.

Agron looked dumbfounded for a half a minute, and then without a word took off running full speed toward their home. Sura was right behind him.

~~*~~

Agron burst into their room, startling both Nasir and Duro, who jumped to his feet, dagger in hand. He lowered it once he realized it was only Agron. Nasir had tried to push himself up, a weak grip on his own dagger. He didn’t have the strength though, and collapsed back onto his bedroll. He was safe though.

Sura shooed Duro out of her way, peeling the sweat soaked blanket off of Nasir. He shivered in the cool air, curling up once more. Sura gently pulled him up so that he was sitting, undoing the belt that held his dagger, and undoing the light vest he had been wearing. She wordlessly handed them to Duro, who absently tossed them into a corner.

Agron had taken Nasir’s dagger out of his hand, and handed it to Duro as well. He quickly sheathed it, and returned his focus to Nasir.

“Has he had anything to drink?” Sura asked Duro.

Agron glanced at Duro, who shook his head. “He hasn’t had any since I left to find you. He won’t drink.”

Sura nodded, and sighed. “Agron, take my place.”

He immediately moved, and Nasir slumped against his side. Sura handed him the water skin Duro had left on the floor, giving him a pointed look. Agron uncorked it, and gently shook Nasir. His eyes flickered open, hazily looking at Agron. “Drink,” he gently ordered Nasir.

Nasir groaned slightly, his head still aching horribly. “My head,” he groaned out. “It hurts beyond reason.”

Agron nodded, and Nasir closed his eyes again. Agron looked at Duro. “Put out the torches, and most of the candles. It might help his headache. Be careful not to burn yourself.”

He could tell just how worried Duro was, when he received no glare or sarcastic remark for his last words. He heard someone else come in, and turned slightly to look over his shoulder. He was surprised to see Crixus, who wordlessly grabbed one of the torches Duro could not reach. He gave Agron a nod, and as close to a smile as he’d ever received from the Gaul.

Crixus held out his hand, and Duro handed him the other torch. The Gaul stepped out, and the room darkened considerably. He could faintly hear Crixus put out the torches, the hiss as the water hit the flames.

Nasir’s eyes flickered open again, as Sura laid the wet cloth across his forehead again.

Agron seized his chance. “Nasir please drink something. Even a sip is better than nothing. Then you can rest. Please.”

Nasir gave a small nod of his head, reaching out with shaking hands for the water skin. Agron put it in his hands, still half holding it though. Nasir took a few small sips, and lowered the water skin for a moment. He took a few deep breaths, and the wet cloth slipped from his forehead to his chest.

His skin was burning against Agrons, and it scared Agron. He picked the cloth up from Nasir’s chest, and wiped it gently across his face, removing the sheen of sweat that covered it. Nasir weakly lifted the water skin again, and took a few more sips of water. He let it fall to his chest, nearly spilling it all over him. Agron quickly picked it up, and handed it to Duro.

Nasir curled up, and Agron held him tight. “Sleep,” Agron softly said. “We’ll be here.”

The Syrian was quick to fall to sleep. He had used the last of his strength to drink the water.

Sura spoke quietly, so as not to wake him, though Agron doubted he’d wake before morning. “If he wakes, he must drink before he falls back to sleep.”

“I don’t understand,” Duro whispered quietly, his voice distraught. “We left early in the morning, before the midday sun, as we always do if we go out. Where did this come from?”

Agron now wondered the same thing. They both knew Nasir was still trying to adjust to the harsh heat, but he’d never fallen ill before.

Both Sura and Agron thought for a moment. He brushed sweat soaked hair from Nasir’s face, and with a pang realized why the heat had gotten to him so easily.

“We spent most of yesterday afternoon out at the river, teaching Nasir how to swim. We ran out of clean water to drink, but stayed out a while longer,” Agron softly explained. “We drank plenty once we returned though. Nasir was a bit unsteady, remember? But he told us it was nothing. That he was fine, just tired from the day.”

Guilt washed over Agron and Duro’s faces, and Sura smiled at them. “This _isn’t_ your fault. It’s going to take a day or two, but he will be alright.”

Agron ran a hand over his face. “This _is_ my fault. If I had but pressed him further, had him tell me the truth, I would have never allowed him to go to market today. I would have had him rest and he would not be like this.”

Duro nodded in agreement. “I should have realized something was wrong earlier. He didn’t drink anything this morning, and even forgot his water skin. He _never_ forgets that.”

Sura sighed. There was nothing she could say to make them think different. Agron was so protective of Nasir and Duro, felt himself responsible for everything that happened to them, big or small. Duro was of similar nature, feeling himself responsible for Nasir whenever Agron was not present to do so.

Sura stood up, and quietly got out one of the few loaves of bread they had left over from the trip to market a few days past. Agron made a mental note that he would have to try to get fresh bread at market. Old bread would do nothing to help Nasir right now. “We must try to get him to eat something small as well, if he wakes.”

Agron nodded, and Nasir shivered in his arms. “ _Bruder_ , get me a clean blanket.” Duro quietly did so, draping it over Nasir. Agron tucked it securely around him.

Crixus’ rumbling voice was quiet. “How does the boy fair?”

Agron gave him a quick glance, and then returned his eyes back to Nasir. “Sick from the sun.”

“He will be well,” Sura assured them both. “He just needs rest, and water.”

Crixus quietly replaced the torches in their moorings, and leaned against the wall, his arms crossed.

Sura kneeled between Agron and Duro, a comforting hand on each of their shoulders. “Let him rest, and watch over him. I will stay the night as well.”

Agron took that as Sura’s way of telling him to lay Nasir down, and let him sleep peacefully without the awkwardness of sleeping in his arms. He would have obliged, wanting Nasir to sleep comfortably, but it seemed Nasir was of different opinion. He held tight to Agron, and neither Agron nor Duro had the heart to break his grip.

Sura sighed, but knew she would not win against them. Once they were set of mind, nothing could change it. Not even the gods themselves.

~~*~~

Nasir tiredly opened his eyes, exhausted, confused, and thirsty. His vision was unfocused, and he blinked a few times, until it did. Agron was lying next to him, holding his hand. His hold was tight, despite being deep asleep.

He didn’t want to move. His bedroll was warm, but the blanket covering him was damp. He glanced about, finding Duro sound sleep against Sura’s side. Crixus was leaning against the doorway, as was Spartacus. They were talking quietly, unaware that he had awoken.

His head began to hurt once more, so he closed his eyes, and buried his face in his blankets.

He didn’t let go of Agron’s hand.

~~*~~

Nasir woke up again, and found Agron’s eyes intent on him. “Hey,” Nasir said softly, his voice rasping.

A grin broke out on Agron’s face, but Nasir could still see the fear that it was masking.

“Hey,” Agron replied in kind. He sat up, and reached behind him, producing a water skin. He looked back to Nasir, and gently squeezed his hand. He put the water skin down between them, and grasped Nasir’s other hand. Agron gently pulled him up, so that he was sitting. The movement made him dizzy though, and he almost fell back.

“Easy, easy,” Agron said softly. The others were all asleep, and he didn’t want any of them waking up. “Take a deep breath, and close your eyes for a moment.” Agron shifted his grip to Nasir’s upper arms, holding him in place, while Nasir placed his head in his hands, waiting for the dizzy spell to pass.

“I-I think it’s passed,” Nasir stuttered out a few minutes later. He looked at Agron, and gave him a small smile.

Agron wasn’t sure if he believed him or not. Nasir had a gift of being able to hide his thoughts and emotions with great skill, if he truly wanted to.

He kept one hand on Nasir, and picked up the water skin with his other. “Drink some water. You’ve been running a fever all day, and half the night.”

He nodded, and gratefully drained half the water skin in one long draught.

“Better?” Agron asked.

Nasir lowered the water skin, taking a deep breath. “Yes. Gratitude.”

Agron reached behind him again, and exchanged the water skin in his hands for a small slice of bread. “Can you eat some bread? Please?”

Nasir took another deep breath, and nibbled on the bread. Agron released his hold on him, pulling his damp blanket from his lap. Nasir watched as Agron quietly got up, carefully stepping over a sleeping Crixus and Spartacus.

Agron picked up one of the spare blankets they had, and carefully made his way back. The only reason he didn’t step on Crixus’ head was out of respect for Nasir. He still needed rest, and wouldn’t get it if he and the Gaul started fighting. Another time though.

Agron sat back down, unfolding the blanket and draping it around him. Nasir had eaten half the slice of bread, but looked slightly sick. “Only eat what you can.”

Nasir gave him a somewhat sheepish smile, and put down the half he had not eaten. “Apol-“

“None of that Nasir,” Agron said sternly. “You’ve been sick, and I won’t have you make yourself any sicker, simply to appease me.”

Nasir nodded, and yawned again. He reached for the water skin, taking another long drink. Fuck he was thirsty. Once he drained it, Agron gently took his face in his hands. It was easy to read the worry still on Agron’s face, but Agron was not one to hide his emotions. Not like Nasir did sometimes.

Nasir suppressed a yawn, and looked up at him with tired eyes. “What is it?”

Agron gave him a cock eyed smile. “Nothing. Your fever’s going down is all.” He let go of his face, and picked up a cloth from a bowl filled with water. He wrung it out, and wiped Nasir’s face with it. Nasir closed his eyes, the cool water a balm for his hot skin.

Agron laughed under his breath at the sound of protest when he removed the cloth from Nasir’s face, having wiped all the sweat from it. “Return to sleep, Nasir.”

Nasir yawned again as he laid back down on his bedroll, his blanket wrapped tightly around him.

~~*~~

Agron made sure everyone stayed quiet in the morning, so that Nasir could sleep for as long as he wanted. Sura told Spartacus and Crixus to return home, and that she would return once she was satisfied Nasir was alright.

Duro was unusually quiet. Agron knew he was still blaming himself for Nasir falling ill. Agron gave him a small smile, and ruffled his dreadlocks playfully. “He’s alright,” he whispered quietly. “Find something to do, and turn your thoughts from it.”

Duro gave him a small nod, and rummaged through his small amount of belongings, digging out the stone bear Agron had gotten for him weeks before. He sat down, and absently began playing with it. Agron didn’t miss the concerned looks that he often gave Nasir.

He did however, miss the glances Duro made between him and Nasir.

Nasir still had a small fever, and Agron wet the cloth again, and gently laid it on his forehead. Nasir murmured something, moving his head and pulling the blanket up higher. Agron rolled his eyes, and carefully wiped the sweat from his face again.

“Lemme sleep,” Nasir mumbled out, cracking one eye open to half-heartedly glare at Agron.

Duro scrambled up at the sound of Nasir’s voice, and kneeled next to him. “Hey! Are you feeling better? You look better! I’m sorry I made you come with me, if I hadn’t then you wouldn’t have gotten sick, and I’m really sorry. But you’re feeling better right?”

Agron smacked Duro upside the head. “Give him a moment to breathe!”

Nasir laughed, which turned into a cough. His throat was dry, and he was still incredibly thirsty.

Duro scowled at Agron, then looked back at Nasir, biting his lip. Nasir pushed himself up, and Agron handed him a water skin. Nasir gladly took it, and drank deeply.

He’d barely put it down, when Duro asked once more, “Are you feeling better?”

Agron tried to smack Duro upside the head again, but he ducked underneath it. “What did I just tell you?!”

Nasir smiled and shook his head at the both of them. They were ridiculous. He looked at Duro and nodded. “I am for the most part.”

“Most part?” Duro questioned.

“I’m still thirsty, and my head still hurts slightly, but it is nothing compared to yesterday.”

Duro looked guilty, as Nasir took another long drink. “I’m sorry. I never should have asked you to come with me yesterday.”

Nasir shook his head, and looked at Duro like he was a fool. Which he was sometimes. “This isn’t your fault Duro. How could it be?”

“Because you were sick the day before, but I didn’t see it.”

Nasir gave him a confused look. “I wasn’t sick the day before. Just tired-“

“From the long day,” Agron finished giving him a look.

Nasir looked down at his hands. He really thought he _had_ just been tired. He hadn’t known any different.

“I really thought I was just tired. I didn’t think anything else of it,” he said quietly.

Agron smiled at him kindly. “It’s alright, so long as you make promise to tell us if you ever feel like that again. We would not see you fall ill like that again.” He shared a look with Duro. “Nor scare us half-way to death.”

Nasir smiled sheepishly at them both.

“I promise.”


	9. Words and Mud

Nasir was lounging on his bedroll, absently talking to Agron, who was busy sharpening his dagger, when Duro came rushing in, a piece of paper gripped tightly in his hand.

They both looked up at him, and he shoved the paper into Agron’s face. “The games are free next week _bruder_! Sponsored by the magistrate for the Ludi Romani!”

Nasir looked at them both, slightly confused. “Ludi Romani? What is that?”

Agron took the paper out of Duro’s hands, crumpled it up, and tossed it away from him. “A festival to honor Jupiter. It’s a _Roman_ festival.” Nasir didn’t miss the hatred in his voice, thought it was barely there. Duro certainly didn’t take note of it, as he flattened out the paper, and held it out to Nasir.

“See?” Duro pointed to the writing on the paper. “It says right there that all are invited to attend the games, free of charge!”

Nasir looked at where Duro was pointing, pretending that he could read what Duro insisted was written there. He tried to distract Duro, lest Duro realize he could not read. “What does it matter? You are not Roman. Why would you participate in one of their festivals?”

Agron grinned proudly at Nasir. “He holds more sense that you _bruder_. It is a waste of time.”

“No it isn’t!” Duro yelled, stomping his foot on the ground. He crossed his arms and glared at them both. “I don’t want to go to watch them celebrate the fucking Ludi Romani. I want to go, so I can see the fucking gladiators! The gods of the arena! I’m tired of just hearing of them in the market! I want to _actually_ see them!”

Duro shoved the paper in Nasir’s face. “Look at the gladiators supposed to be there! From every ludus in the city! Batiatus’, Solonius’, Vibius’, and Vettius’!”

Agron visibly stiffened at the sound of Vettius’ name. “All of them masters of nothing but slaves Duro,” he growled out dangerously.

“They’re _gods_!” He handed the paper to Nasir. “Tell Agron the gladiators that will be there! Maybe he’ll listen to you.”

Duro paced next to him, as Nasir stared down at the paper in his hands. He could see the letters, but they made no sense to him. Tears sprung to his eyes in embarrassment. He kept his eyes low, his hair falling over his face.

“Nasir?” Duro was impatient, and thankfully oblivious to his embarrassment.

Nasir scrambled to find an excuse, holding the paper out to Duro. “Apologies. I….um…I have little skill in pronouncing names I’ve never heard before.”

Duro took it out of his hands, but before he could start to argue with Agron again, he cut him off. “Enough Duro. I’m not taking you. Those lanistas are all scheming fucks, who are angered by the smallest slight. I would not have either of you see those shits.”

Duro grumbled some more, stomping out of their home, no doubt on his way to bitch to Spartacus and Sura.

Agron moved, so that he was sitting in front of Nasir. He gently took Nasir’s chin in his hand, lifting it up, and brushing his hair away from his face. “What brings tears to your eyes?” Concern was evident in his voice.

Nasir considered lying. He was embarrassed that he didn’t know how to read. He knew it wasn’t his fault, but he still felt it nevertheless. He wasn’t meeting Agron’s eyes, but he knew they were intent upon him. He let out a heavy breath, knowing he would have to tell Agron eventually. It would be impossible to hide forever.

Before he could say it though, Agron quietly said. “You couldn’t read the poster, could you?”

Nasir shook his head, closing his eyes, and cursing the tears that fell from them.

Agron rubbed them away. “There is no need for tears Nasir.” Nasir still wouldn’t look at him. He gently lifted his chin, so that Nasir had to meet his eyes. “Or embarrassment.”

Nasir gave him a small nod, but more tears still fell.

Agron smiled at him. “Hey, don’t cry. It is a simple thing to fix. I will teach you, as will Duro and everyone else. Duro and I can even teach you some of our mother tongue if you wish.”

Nasir sniffled, but smiled back at Agron. “I would like that.”

Agron nodded, his smile widening. “Good. Now gather your things, and don’t forget your water skin.”

Nasir rolled his eyes at the now constant reminder.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me,” Agron chided him, his back turned as he picked up his bag.

“You weren’t even looking at me!”

“I don’t hear you denying it.” Nasir rolled his eyes again as Agron turned to look at him, a smug smirk on his face. “Are you ready to go?”

Nasir nodded, and eagerly followed Agron up to the surface. They walked together, and Agron questioned him more on what he knew and did not know. Nasir was still embarrassed, but revealed to Agron that he could not count either.

Agron nodded thoughtfully, telling him it was another thing easily fixed. Even more important that learning his letters actually. They had little coin, and the one thing he always stressed to Duro was knowing the worth of their coins, and of what they needed, so that some Roman pig did not try to cheat them.

Nasir nodded, and Agron led him to the river. They sat under some of the scant trees, the shade protecting them from the sun. The ground was slightly sandy, and Agron smoothed it out. He picked up a nearby stick, and began to teach Nasir his letters. It was a long process, but Nasir was fascinated. Agron spent hours tracing them out in the sand, and Nasir spent even more copying them. Agron taught him in Latin first, so that he could start to understand the posters in the city.

After Nasir could do all his letters twice without any errors, Agron taught him the first twenty numbers. Agron also started to explain how much each coin was worth. It was slightly confusing, but Agron told him it would take more time to grasp it, and not be bothered by it for now.

Then they began Nasir’s favorite part of the lesson. Agron began to teach Nasir how to speak German. They began as they did with Latin, with its letters. They were rougher, his tongue trying to mimic the accent Agron had when he spoke his mother tongue.

Agron laughed, and told him that the accent would come with time, once he became familiar with it.

Once finished with the basics, Agron asked him, “Is there anything in particular you want to know? About either language?”

Nasir thought for a moment. “You and Duro always call each other _bruder_. That’s means ‘brother’, right?”

Agron nodded. “It does. We’ve always called each other that.”

Nasir hummed, and began tracing letters in the sand. “Why don’t you speak your mother tongue that often? It’s been nearly half a year, but I’ve only heard you both speak it a handful of times to each other.”

Agron shrugged his shoulders. “We have multiple reasons for that I suppose. Partly because since you do not understand it, and it would be rude to do so in front of you. And we are the only ones who speak it. Neither Sura, Spartacus, nor Crixus speak anything but the common tongue. And it gives us away as well. Speaking the common tongue ensures that the Romans do not cause us more trouble than they already have.”

Nasir gave him a confused look. “Gives you away?”

Agron let out a heavy breath. “Roman law does not protect anyone who is not a Roman citizen. By speaking the common tongue, we protect ourselves.”

Nasir thought for a minute, and then laughed. “Can you imagine their faces, to see one such as me, speaking in the language of a German? It would truly be a sight.”

Agron laughed hard. “It would confuse them beyond belief. They wouldn’t know what to think, or say.” Thunder rumbled through the sky, and they both looked up in unison. The sky was beginning to fill with dark, angry clouds. Lightening streaked through it, lighting them up brilliantly for a brief moment. They could see the rain in the distance; the storm would soon arrive.

Agron quickly stood, and held out his forearm to Nasir. “Let’s go. If we’re lucky we will beat the storm.” Nasir gripped Agron’s forearm tightly as the German pulled him to his feet. They both quickly flicked their eyes about, ensuring they had picked up everything they had brought, before they took off at a run.

Nasir was still slightly faster than him, but Agron was determined to keep pace with him. Nasir laughed at him, but didn’t put on a burst of speed as he was often known to do. They weren’t faster than the rain though. It came down hard, soaking them in seconds.

The dry ground soaked up the water just as fast, turning to mud in a matter of minutes. When they reached the ladder down to the cisterns, their bodies were caked in it. The nearly fell down the ladder, since their muddy sandals had no grip on the wet metal. Nasir made a face as he felt the mud in his sandals squish between his toes. He took a few steps, grimaced, sat down, ripping at the lacing on his sandals and undoing them.

Agron only laughed, which earned him a dry look from Nasir. He saw a glimpse of the mischief in his dark eyes, before a handful of mud hit him in the face.

“Fuck!” Agron cursed, spitting and wiping it off his face, while Nasir laughed at him. Agron wiped it from his eyes, and glared at Nasir. “You little bastard.”

Nasir only laughed harder, ducked under the handful of mud Agron threw at him, and took off running down the tunnels, throwing taunts over his shoulder at Agron.

Agron ran after him, throwing another handful of mud at Nasir’s back. Most of it missed him, but enough landed to satisfy Agron. Nasir stumbled for a moment, as he scooped more of the mud from his sandals, and threw it over his shoulders. He heard a SPLAT as it landed, and another curse from Agron, one foreign in origin. He made a mental note to remind Agron to teach him those.

They rounded a corner, and they both came to a screeching halt. Sura was standing there, her arms crossed, raising an eyebrow at them. They smiled sheepishly at her, glanced at each other, and burst into laughter.

Sura rolled her eyes at them, shaking her head with a small smile. “You are both ridiculous.”

Agron shrugged his shoulders, while Nasir brushed his muddy hair from his eyes.

Sura gave them both a dry look. “You should have both stayed in the rain, and let it wash the mud from you.”

“We have plenty of water to use to clean ourselves,” Agron retorted.

Sura rolled her eyes again, and then waved them off. “Go and clean yourselves off, you silly fools.”

They both laughed, and started to walk away.

Sura called out after their retreating backs. “Oh and Duro is waiting for you. He’s still in a foul mood. I leave you both to deal with it.”

They both cringed. Nasir looked at Agron, unsure as to how they were going to handle Duro. Agron smiled at him. “Don’t worry about it.”

Nasir nodded, and they trudged into their home, leaving muddy footprints behind them. Duro glared at them both, then returned to the wood he was carving, ignoring the both of them. Nasir glanced up at Agron for a moment, and he just shrugged his shoulders indifferently.

They both picked up a few of the larger water skins, and a few clean cloths, and set to the task of cleaning themselves of the mud covering their bodies. A task made difficult, considering they were still throwing mud at each other when the other was least expecting it.

Half an hour later, Agron was completely clean, fresh clothes on; his and Nasir’s muddy ones lying in a pile out of the way. Nasir cursed as he ran water through his long hair again. Every time he thought he had cleaned himself of the last of it, he would find more in his hair.

“FUCK!” He cursed again, pulling at his hair angrily.

Duro jumped slightly, glared at the both of them, and returned to his carving.

Agron chortled, and sat down next to him. “It’s still stuck in your hair then?”

Nasir gave him a dirty look. “This is fucking ridiculous. I should cut it all fucking off, and my problems would be gone.”

He reached for his dagger, but Agron caught his hand first. “You’re not cutting your hair. It’s just mud. It’s not like you got honey stuck in it or anything of the sort.”

Nasir gave him another dirty look, but lowered his hand.                       

Agron picked up the water skin. “Close your eyes.”

Nasir did as told, and Agron poured the water on his hair again. He was careful, making sure not to tug painfully on Nasir’s hair, but efficient, finding where the last smidgens of mud were, and washing them away. He poured more water over Nasir’s hair, until the water ran clear from it.

“There you see? You just needed another set of eyes and a pair of hands to help you.”

Nasir opened his eyes, and ran his fingers through his dark locks. He gave Agron a pleased smile, when his fingers came though clean. Agron smiled in return, and tossed him a clean cloth, and Nasir began to dry his hair.

 “Think we can bribe Sura into cleaning those for us?” Nasir asked Agron, gesturing to their dirty clothes.

Agron snorted, and he picked up a loaf of bread, breaking it in half. “Not a chance. She’d throw us in the mud first.”

“I’ll help her,” Duro muttered.

They both threw a glare at him. “Stop sulking Duro,” Nasir retorted.

“I will when Agron decides to take us to the games.”

“Enough Duro!” Agron growled out, glaring at Duro. “I said I’m not taking you, and that’s _final_. No more arguing about it.”

Duro glared daggers at Agron, and opened his mouth, ready to argue some more, but Agron was faster. “And don’t even try to threaten that you will get Spartacus or Crixus to take you. They know my opinion of the games and won’t dare cross me by taking you.”

Duro crossed his arms in a huff. “Fuck you.”

Agron merely shrugged his shoulders, and looked at Nasir for a moment. “Instead of sulking about the games Duro, you can help me teach Nasir how to read and write. It will distract you and give us all the peace we want.”

Duro’s glare was gone, exchanged for a look of confusion that fell upon Nasir. “You cannot read? Or write?”

Nasir shook his head. “Or count,” he added softly. 

Duro looked at Agron, turning a bright red as he realized his idiocy from earlier in the day. Agron gave him a hard look, silently warning him not to bring it up. It did not matter how they found out. All that mattered was that they could teach Nasir.

“We’ve already had a lesson for today,” Agron explained to Duro. “He’s a quick study. He’s already got the Latin letters down, and was able to go through them twice with no mistakes. He’s got most of the German letters down as well.”

Nasir felt his face heat up, slightly embarrassed by the pride Agron was speaking with. He didn’t think he was that quick of a study, but he wouldn’t say otherwise.

“You’re learning our language?” Duro asked Nasir, slightly surprised.

Nasir nodded. “I am. I wish to be able to understand what you say, and then you can also speak it more, since I will be able to follow what you say.”

Duro nodded, not entirely sure how he felt about it. German was his and Agron’s language. It was all they had left of their parents in a way. Everything else of theirs had been lost when they died, and Duro was reluctant to share it with anyone not family. He felt guilty a moment later. Nasir _was_ family even if he wasn’t their blood.

Nasir noticed Duro’s hesitation, while Agron did not. He didn’t say anything though. He would ask Duro about it another time. He didn’t want to see Agron and Duro fight about it.


	10. Bonding

Duro had been of a mood all week. He’d barely spoken to Nasir, and when he did, his words were short and cold. Agron didn’t notice most of the time, since he was so engrossed in teaching Nasir his letters and numbers. Agron tried to get Duro to help Nasir practice, but he always found an excuse to leave.

Nasir put on a smile, pretending that it wasn’t bothering him. 

~~*~~

Nasir ran to catch up with Duro. He’d been in an especially sour mood ever since Agron had started his daily lesson with Nasir. Duro looked over his shoulder, and slowed down a bit to allow Nasir to catch up with him.

“Yes?” Duro questioned gruffly.

“I wanted to talk with you, that is all.” Nasir grimaced a bit as he saw the deep frown on Duro’s face.

“About what?” Duro wasn’t stupid. He knew that Nasir knew he wasn’t exactly happy to be sharing his language. He knew that Nasir just didn’t know why.

“You’ve been different ever since Agron told you last week. About teaching me Latin.” Nasir paused for a moment, and then continued. “And German.”

Duro decided to play dumb, not wanting to talk about it. “It’s nothing Nasir.”

“Yes it is.” Nasir put his hand on Duro’s shoulder, and Duro shrugged it off. Nasir felt a small pang at being brushed off by his brother. “Please Duro.”

Duro let out a deep sigh, not wanting to talk about it. He would sound selfish. Fuck, he knew his reason was selfish.

He tried to deflect the question. “Go ask Agron if you want to know.”

Nasir shook his head, slightly confused. “Why would I ask Agron? He hasn’t even noticed how you’ve been of a mood about it. I don’t want him to know anyway. This doesn’t involve him.”

Duro was surprised by Nasir’s answer, and he paused in his walking for a moment, looking at Nasir. He saw nothing but sincerity in his dark eyes, and he also saw the sadness in them.

“It’s nothing,” Duro repeated. “Just me being selfish. You shouldn’t concern yourself with it.” He tried to stomp off, but Nasir grabbed his upper arm, and pulled him back.

“Duro,” Nasir said sternly. “This isn’t _nothing_. Why does me learning German upset you?”

“Because it’s mine and Agrons!” Nasir let go of his arm abruptly and took a step back. Duro ran a hand over his face. _Fuck,_ he hadn’t meant to let it out like that. Then again, subtly was something he was not known for.

Nasir looked down at the ground, not knowing what to think or say.

“Fuck, apologies Nasir. I didn’t mean it like that.” Nasir gave him a small nod of his head, but he was clearly upset. “I…I….fuck…”

“It’s alright Duro,” Nasir quietly said. “I’ll just tell Agron I don’t want to learn German anymore. That….it’s too hard for me to grasp the letters…or something like that.” He started to walk away, but Duro quickly stepped in front of him.

“Wait!” He put his hands on Nasir’s shoulders, stopping him. Nasir looked at him, his face wiped of all emotion. Fuck. Nasir only did that when he was really upset. An old habit from his days as a slave. “I’m sorry. I _want_ you to learn German. I really do. Just please let me explain.”

Nasir gave Duro a small nod, and Duro closed his eyes for a second. He took a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts, so that he didn’t hurt Nasir more with them.

“After our parents died, German was all that we had left of them. We had nothing else, not even a piece of cloth or piece of jewelry. _Nothing_. Our language was all that we had of them. All we had for each other half the time. It was what we could always count on, if we needed to hide words from prying ears, or if we needed comfort.”

Duro released his hold on Nasir’s shoulders; his hands were starting to shake. Nasir leaned against wall, patiently waiting for Duro to continue, though his face still remained absent emotion.

“When Agron told me he was teaching you, I was upset. Not because I didn’t want you to learn!” He hastily looked at Nasir, but Nasir didn’t betray any emotion. “I was upset, because for so long, I’ve simply seen it as _ours_. No one else speaks it. Not Sura, not Spartacus, not Crixus. We’ve never even meet another German, save for the occasional trader that travels through in the spring. It was a sign that we were family.”

Nasir winced slightly. Duro knew that wince was from Nasir thinking Duro didn’t see him as a brother, as Nasir saw him.

“Which you are a part of now,” Duro said softly. “I was just frustrated. It’s hard to share something, when for so long it’s only belonged to two people. I’m learning though.” He offered a smile to Nasir. “I am. I’m sorry if I upset you. It was not my intention. My reasons were just selfish, as I said.”

Nasir smiled back hesitantly, still slightly bothered by the whole thing. “Is that why you were cold to me all week? Why you found excuse to not help me?”

Duro nodded, ashamed of himself.

“Why did you not tell me? You know I wouldn’t have been angry.”

Duro let out a snort. “You almost never get mad.”

“I’ve learned to watch my temper. It’s resulted in punishment before,” Nasir answered quietly, his eyes going dark and distant.

Duro mentally slapped himself. He couldn’t do anything right could he?

“Apolo-”

Nasir quickly shook his head. “Don’t. It’s alright.” He looked back up Duro. They were bright again, the anger and fear gone once more. Duro didn’t believe it for a second. “Back to my original question: Why did you not tell me?”

Duro let out a heavy sigh, and leaned against the wall next to Nasir. “Because my reasons were selfish. You were at no fault, and neither was Agron. I thought it wouldn’t bother me if I gave it time.”

“But it still did,” Nasir observed.

Duro nodded. “I’m trying Nasir, I really am. I’ve had the debate in my head a thousand times, telling myself how stupid and selfish I was. That it wasn’t fair to treat you so. That you had every right to learn it, since you are family. It’s just hard, like I said.”

Nasir didn’t say anything, sliding down the rough stone wall to sit.

Duro groaned, and hit his head against the wall in frustration. He was having an extremely difficult time getting his thoughts out, while trying to make Nasir feel like it wasn’t his fault. Like he was intruding on something that was only his and Agrons. While it had once been, it wasn’t anymore. Nasir was family, and he deserved to know everything they could teach him. He groaned again, and then thought of something.

He slid down next to Nasir a minute later, and quietly said, “ _Es tut mir Leid, Nasir_.”[1]

Nasir looked at Duro, and he was thrilled to see the surprise etched on the Syrians face.

“ _Nicht schlimm_[2],” Nasir slowly replied in German, a small smile on his face.

Duro smiled back, knowing he was forgiven. He threw his arm over Nasir’s shoulders, and pulled him close, hugging him tightly. “ _Also ist alles gut zwischen uns,_ _Bruder **[3]**?”_ he asked.

Nasir nodded, hugging Duro back. “ _Alles gut”._[4]

Dura laughed, and ruffled Nasir’s hair. Nasir retaliated by tugging on Duro’s dreadlocks. They head butted each other, and then took off running and laughing at each other. Nasir pounced on Duro’s back as they fell back into their room, and Agron jumped, dropping the bundle of clothes in his hands.

Both boys laughed and giggled, while Agron mumbled something under his breath as he picked up the clothes he dropped.

“What are you two laughing about?”

“You,” Duro retorted, sharing a look with Nasir. They both burst into laughter again, and Agron rolled his eyes.

“Help me fold these, since you were the reason I dropped them.”

Neither of them budged. Duro was pinned under Nasir, so he couldn’t move, and Nasir didn’t want to fold the clothes.

Agron rolled his eyes again. “You lazy asses.”

Nasir shrugged, and Duro tried to squirm free. Nasir rearranged himself, so that he was sitting on Duro’s back. He was slightly smaller than Duro, and weighed less, but he’d still learned how to turn such things to his advantage. Duro tried to push himself up while Nasir sat on his back, but Nasir just tickled him, and Duro collapsed back to the ground, laughing.

“You…….ass! S-stop!” Nasir laughed, but had no mercy for Duro.

Agron threw the clothes at them. “Hey!” Nasir shouted, falling off of Duro as he untangled himself from the mess. Nasir managed to get free, and threw them back at Agron. “You fold them!”

Agron pulled the clothes off his head, gave them a look, glared at Nasir and Duro, and then idly tossed them into a corner.

Nasir and Duro grinned, having successfully gotten out of the chore.

“Wipe those grins from your faces, you little demons.” They would have thought Agron was yelling at them, if there wasn’t a grin on his face as well. Agron could rarely stay angry with them for more than a few minutes. He just wasn’t capable of it.

“Or what?” Duro taunted.

Agron pounced, and it was on.

~~*~~

The next day they were at the market. It was especially crowded, as the past day, today, and tomorrow had all been set aside for the markets and fairs that followed the Romans Ludi Romani.

With Agron’s hatred for the Romans, and Duro’s dislike of them, they felt it the perfect time to relieve them of their coin, and perhaps do some shopping of their own with it.

The Romans were paying no attention to the three boys darting around the crowd. Half of them were drunk off the recent games in the arena, and the other half were just drunk off wine. They didn’t even notice when their purses went missing.

In less than an hour, Agron gave Duro and Nasir the signal to leave. They met in a small alleyway, and held out their hands to Agron. Nasir was still learning the monetary system the Romans used, but he believed they had managed to earn double what they normally did.

“A quick lesson,” Agron said, looking out into the crowd for a moment. “Nasir, what coins do you hold in your hand? And how much are they worth?”

Nasir looked down at the coins in his hands and thought out loud. “These ones are made of brass I think. They have that wheel you mentioned before. So they must be the dupondii?” He looked up at Agron. “Right?”

Agron nodded in agreement, a half smile on his face. “And the other two?”

Nasir picked up one of the silver coins, and gave it a closer look. “They look to be made of silver, but that can’t be right, since that is what the denarii is made of, and these don’t look like them.”

He looked at Agron slightly confused. He’d never seen these coins before.

Agron smiled, and took the coin. “These are sestertii. They’re a bit hard to come by, since the Republic rarely mints them.”

“So they are worth more than the denarii then?” Nasir inferred.

Agron shook his head. “That would make sense, but no. The sestertii are only made of metal and the denarii are made of silver, like you said. The denarii still have more worth.”

Nasir nodded. “So what is the sestertii worth?”

“One of these is worth a fourth of a denarii. And in turn one dupondii is worth a half a sestertii. And what is the worth of a dupondii?”

“Two asses,” Nasir said confidently.

“Well done.”

Nasir beamed, and Duro slapped him on the back. Agron took most of the coins and put them in his own purse, while Nasir and Duro put the remainder in their own. Agron had taken to letting them keep some, so that they could save it, and perhaps buy something at the market if they wished to. It was his way of teaching them responsibility.

They exited the alley, and wandered about together, leaving the main market, and heading towards the smaller and quieter ones. Some of the traders had returned, this time bringing items from the Far East with them. Nasir looked about curiously at the traders, knowing they must have been to his homeland during their absence.

They looked about, searching for Lyonesse. They finally found her in the middle of the market, and she gave them a wide smile as she waved them over. “My you boys have grown since I last saw you.” They laughed and greeted her happily.

“These boys have been feeding you well,” Lyonesse teased Nasir, kneeling down to look at him eye to eye. He smiled, and looked down at himself. His ribs had stopped showing months ago, after finally having enough to eat for the first time in his memory.

“They have,” Nasir replied.

She nodded in approval, and stood back up, the beads in her hair clicking. “So what brings you to market today?”

“The Ludi Romani. Half the city is at the market and fairs today in celebration of the recent games that took place during them,” Agron explained.

She cocked an eyebrow at Agron. “So of course that means you took the chance to lighten their purses.”

Nasir and Duro shared a worried glance, but Agron wasn’t bothered in the least. “We do what we have to, so that we can survive. You know that. And we never steal from you or the other traders. Just the Romans who don’t have the brains to care about three orphans.”

Lyonesse shrugged. “Just be careful. One day they will notice, and that is a day that I fear will come far too soon.”

“And I’ll take care of it when it does. Nothing’s going to happen to any of us.”

Lyonesse didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t press further. She knew how stubborn Agron and Duro were, and she had no doubt Nasir was just as stubborn as they were.

“Tell us about your travels,” Duro asked, impatient and curious. “Where did you go? What did you see?”

“You really want to know?” she teased them.

Duro nodded his head eagerly, and stomped on Nasir’s foot. He cursed, and jumped on his good foot, holding his wounded one in his hands. He lost his balance as he hopped around, cursing at Duro, and Agron caught him before he hit the ground. Agron laughed, and Nasir leaned back against his chest. “Ass,” Nasir muttered, glaring at Duro.

“Don’t you want to hear about her travels to?” Duro asked innocently.

Lyonesse shook her head. They were ridiculous.

“A simple nudge would have done the trick!”

“I thought that would work better.”

“So says the one without the bruised foot.”

Agron laughed again, and Nasir looked up and glared at him. “Ass.”

“I believe you will live,” Agron said, ruffling Nasir’s hair.

Nasir gave him and Duro a dry look. “It still hurt.”

He put his foot back down, and looked at Lyonesse. She seemed to be barely containing her laughter as well. She bit her lower lip, and smiled at all three of them. “You three are truly a wonder. Now if you promise not to injure one another, I will tell you all of the things I saw.”

Duro went to sit on a nearby barrel, but Nasir hip-checked him out of the way and claimed it as his own instead. “Mine,” he growled at Duro.

Agron put his head in his hands, while Duro kicked the base of the barrel, but sat down next to it instead. Agron leaned against the stone wall, and Lyonesse started her tale.

  


* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] I’m sorry Nasir.
> 
> [2] It’s good.
> 
> [3] Are we good brother?
> 
> [4] Yes, we good (Nasir doesn’t have a full understanding of the German language yet obviously, so his isn’t going to be perfect.)


	11. Nightmare or Reality?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're going to hate me.

Duro and Nasir were running behind Agron, trying to escape the guards that were after them. Agron veered away from the main tunnel, and they followed him. He stopped and grabbed Duro by the shoulders. “Listen to me right now. You run, and you find Spartacus and Sura. You stay _there_. You understand? We will come back when it is safe!”

Duro was scared, and but knew he had to do as Agron commanded. He hugged his brother tightly, and then ran off in the opposite direction, the darkness swallowing him up.

Agron grabbed Nasir by the shoulders now, and commanded his attention. “Listen to me Nasir. We _can_ out run them. You just stay with me, and everything will be fine. I promise.”

Nasir nodded, and they ran off again. The guards were faster, they could hear them getting closer. Agron abruptly grabbed Nasir, and pulled him off into a small tunnel, holding him in his arms. Nasir locked his legs and arms around Agron, burying his face in Agron’s chest. He was terrified. Those guards were after him.

Not Agron.

Not Duro.

 _Him_.

“Shhh,” Agron whispered. “It’s alright. Nothing’s going to happen to you.” He tightened his arms around Nasir, and hid them in the shadows. They could hear the men approaching. He suddenly understood why Agron had hid them here. Men had come from both directions.

They were trapped. If the men came down here, they _would_ be found.

Agron frantically looked around, and saw a small alcove. Just big enough to hide them both from prying eyes, and it was dark.

He quietly, but quickly ran over to it, and pressed them into the darkest corner. He tugged off his cloak with one hand, and rearranged it, so that it was covering them both completely. Nasir prayed the dark fabric would hide them in the dark tunnels.

Nasir held onto Agron impossibly tight. He could hear the men coming down the tunnel. “Don’t make a sound, and don’t move,” Agron said in a barely audible whisper.

Nasir took a deep breath to try and steady himself, before becoming as still as stone.

He couldn’t see anything through the dark fabric covering them, but he could hear them. They were yelling and shouting at each other.

They were right in front of them.

He tried to calm himself down, afraid to even breathe should they hear it. His head was tucked underneath Agron’s chin, and he could hear Agron’s heart beating underneath his chest. It was beating fast, but it was still a steady beat. Nasir closed his eyes, and willed his breathing to match it.

The guards kept walking though. Right past them.

Nasir was still too scared to move, and waited for Agron to do so first. They waited for several agonizing minutes that felt like eons, before Agron slowly pulled the cloak down, so that it only covered their bodies.

Agron breathed a sigh of relief. “We’re safe,” he whispered to Nasir. “You’re safe.” He offered Nasir a small smile, and Nasir slowly returned it. “I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

Nasir didn’t release his hold on Agron. He didn’t know how to.

Agron wasn’t bothered by it though. He only smiled again, and tucked his cloak around Nasir, so that he would not trip over it as they walked.

He peered out of the alcove, down the way the men had gone. They were out of sight, and Agron walked down the way they had originally come.

“We’ll be home soon Nasir. We’ll stay the night with Spartacus and Sura. Everything will be alright.”

But something was wrong. Nasir knew it in his bones. Agron’s arms provided safety, but he felt like there was something lurking in the dark shadows of the cisterns, just out of sight, watching them. _Hunting them_. Just waiting for the right moment to attack.

“Agron,” he whispered, terrified. “Something’s watching us.”

Agron carefully looked around, before looking down at Nasir. “There’s nothing there. We’re safe Nasir. Like I promised.” He smiled softly at Nasir, but Nasir couldn’t return it.

No, they weren’t safe. “Agron, please,” Nasir begged. “We have to get out of here. Now.” He buried his face in Agron’s chest again, closing his eyes tightly. But Agron didn’t stop, he kept walking, and Nasir could feel the danger rising with every step forward Agron took.

Nasir could tell when they reached the main tunnel of the cisterns. It was wider, and torches were lit. Nasir didn’t feel any safer. “Agron, please,” Nasir pleaded, tears escaping his eyes.

He was forcefully ripped from Agrons arms, and his eyes flew open as he cried out in pain and horror. “Agron!”

Agron was struggling to throw off the guards that had grabbed him. He snarled angrily, and pulled out the dagger he carried, stabbing one man deep in the side. The man only laughed cruelly, and pulled the dagger from his side. He wasn’t even bleeding. 

Nasir tried to escape the guards who had him, but they were far stronger than he was. His movements were slow, and it was as if they caused no damage. They dragged him away from Agron, who was still fighting. Nasir screamed out again, as chains suddenly appeared on his wrists. “No!” Nasir screamed, digging his feet into the ground. The men only yanked hard on the chains, pulling Nasir forward. Nasir looked over his shoulder, desperately looking for Agron.

The guards had pinned him down, and another had Agron’s dagger in his hand. He looked at Nasir, and sneered at him. He held the blade to Agron’s throat, and slit it.

“NO!”

Nasir screamed and kicked out, waking Agron and Duro from their sleep.

“Nasir?!” Agron scrambled out of bed and kneeled next to Nasir. “Nasir, you have to wake up!”

But Nasir didn’t. He just kept screaming, kicking out with his feet, and waving his hands in front of him. Duro grabbed his arms, and pinned them down.

“No!” He told Duro. “Let him loose! It might make his nightmare worse.” Duro released Nasir’s arms, and he started thrashing them about again.

“Nasir! You have to wake up right now! You hear me? Right now! It’s just a nightmare. It’s not real!” It did no good. Nasir was still trapped; the nightmare was holding him captive.

Agron brought his fist down hard on Nasir’s chest. “Nasir! Wake up right _now_!” Nasir made a face in his sleep, but he still didn’t wake. He brought his fist down hard on Nasir’s chest again. “Nasir! Wake up!”

Still nothing. Fuck. “Apologies, Nasir,” he quickly said, before he smacked Nasir hard across the face.

Nasir sat up with a strangled cry, breathing heavily, and tears pouring down his face. His eyes darted around, they were wide and his pupils were blown. “Nasir?” Agron asked hesitantly.

Nasir looked at Agron, and visible relief washed over his face. “Agron?” he choked out.

Agron nodded, not sure why Nasir was so relieved, but not going to question it right now. Nasir slumped against Agron’s chest, and wrapped his arms around Agron’s waist tightly. Agron wrapped Nasir up in his arms, and held him tightly. “Hey, hey, it’s alright. It was just a bad dream,” Agron murmured. “You’re safe. Nothing’s going to hurt you.”

He could feel Nasir’s tears dripping onto his chest, and Agron looked at Duro. “Pour a cup of water, and light some more of the candles.”

Agron looked back down at Nasir as Duro did as he asked. Nasir was clearly terrified. He was shaking, his breathing ragged. Agron rubbed his back soothingly. “Shhh….shhhh….it’s alright, it’s alright.” Nasir gripped at Agron tighter, if it was even possible. Agron lifted Nasir slightly, pulling him into his lap. Duro handed him a cup, and Agron tried to coax Nasir to look at him. “Take a deep breath Nasir, and then let it out. It’s alright. Just look at me.”

It took a full minute before Nasir did as he asked. He looked up at Agron, his brown eyes bloodshot and full of tears. Agron felt his heart clench as he saw the pure terror in them. “Drink some water. It’ll help.” He held the cup out for Nasir to take. Nasir stared at it for a minute, before slowly unwrapping one arm from around Agron’s waist. His hand shook as he took the cup, and brought it to his lips.

Nasir took a small drink, breathing too heavily to drink anymore.

Agron picked up a nearby cloth, and without letting his grip on Nasir loosen, wet it with some cold water. He held it to where he had hit Nasir to wake up him, hoping to prevent a bruise from forming, and dull the discomfort it was surely causing.

Nasir didn’t even notice. He was still terrified, and trying to recover from the awful nightmare Agron had woken him from. It had been so real. He was still trying to realize it had all just been a nightmare.

“Take another drink,” Agron said softly, lifting the cloth slightly.

Nasir’s hands were shaking, but he took another small drink.

“Good,” Agron said. “Just keep breathing slowly. It’ll help.”

Nasir nodded, and set his cup down, so that he could wrap his arms back around Agron. He still needed to know Agron was alright. To know that he was alive.

Duro waited quietly, watching Nasir and Agron. He was concerned for Nasir. His nightmare had obviously terrified him, but Nasir wasn’t scared of much. The only thing they _knew_ he feared was being captured and forced back into slavery again. He’d never given voice to any other fears.

He sat down next to Nasir, and gently took his hand in his. Nasir briefly looked at him, and Duro offered him a smile. Nasir’s smile was shaky as he returned it, before he pressed his face to Agron’s chest again. “ _Keine Angst, Nasir. Wir sind hier bei dir_ ,[1]” Duro told him.

Nasir nodded, his breathing starting to slow. Speaking in German was somehow a comfort for him.

All three of them were quiet for a long while, but Agron and Duro made sure Nasir knew he was not alone. He never was.

When Agron felt that Nasir had calmed down enough, he pulled back slightly. “Nasir, what were you dreaming about, that scared you so bad?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Nasir said quietly, looking at the stone floor between Agron and Duro. “It’ll bring it back to life.”

“It was only a nightmare. Nothing can ever bring them back to life, once they are dead and gone.”

Nasir still shook his head, not wanting to answer. Duro shuffled so that he was sitting in front of Nasir. He was still holding Nasir’s hand, and squeezed it slightly. Nasir looked up at him, scared and confused. “Tell us Nasir,” Duro encouraged.

Duro knew from his own nightmares it was better to talk about them. His were always the same, but he still told Agron about them every time. It helped. At least he thought it did. He always felt better at least, and that was all that mattered.

“Nasir, don’t you trust us?” Duro asked. It was a low blow, but if there was _anything_ Duro knew, it was that Nasir _had_ to talk to them.

Nasir was incredibly insulted, not realizing that Duro was only goading him. “Of course I trust you! It’s just….”

“Then _talk_ to us Nasir. That’s why we’re here.” Duro looked at Agron, and smiled again at Nasir. “We’re family.”

Nasir took a deep breath, but Duro didn’t say anything else. He could tell that Nasir was thinking, and he would give Nasir that. Agron smiled proudly at Duro. It seemed all his chiding was finally starting to pay off.

“There were men after us,” Nasir started quietly. “After me, but you were both with me. I don’t know why though. We were running through the cisterns, and you-” Nasir looked up at Agron, “- You told Duro to find Spartacus and Sura. To stay there until we came back.”

Nasir shuddered, and looked down at the stone floor, the fear still raw. He didn’t notice that Agron had stiffened slightly.

“I followed you, and we hid in a dark corner of the tunnels, because the men had trapped us. They walked right past us though, so you thought we were safe. We weren’t though. I just knew something was wrong. I tried to tell you, but you kept saying everything was okay. That I was safe. The men found us though. They put me in chains, and they-“

Nasir had to stop, as the fear began to overpower him, and tears threatened to come again.

Duro squeezed Nasir’s had again, but Nasir refused to look at him. Agron tried to coax Nasir to look at him instead, but it was useless. They exchanged a worried look over Nasir’s head.

“They what Nasir?” Duro asked quietly. Nasir had to see this through. He had to tell them, so that Duro and Agron could help him.

“They killed Agron.” Nasir’s voice was raw and choked with emotion, and the tears came fast and hard. “They slit his throat.”

Both Duro and Agron were shocked into silence, neither once knowing what to say or think. Agron’s arms had locked around Nasir, and Duro had the death grip on Nasir’s hand.

Agron sat, thinking quickly. There should have been no basis for Nasir’s dream. _None_. Not unless he somehow knew about the close encounter just days after they had freed him, but that was impossible. He and Duro had been sound asleep, and neither he, Crixus, Spartacus, or Sura had let it slip, intentionally or accidentally. And even then, it had been months since that had happened.

“Nasir?” Agron said quietly. Nasir didn’t move though. He was still crying.

Agron released his hold on Nasir, and pried the arm Nasir had around him in a vice grip off. He put Nasir’s hand over his heart, and lifted Nasir’s face with his other hand. “Hey, you feel that?” he asked, referencing to his heart beat. “It means I’m alive. It was only a nightmare. An especially awful one I will admit, but it was just that. A nightmare. It’s not _real_. And it never will be. There will never be a time when you aren’t safe with us Nasir. _Never_.”

Nasir sniffled, and Agron wiped some of his tears away.

“I don’t know why you dreamed about that, but men have never found us here. They never will. And no one will ever take you from us and force you back into slavery. I’d give my life before I saw such a thing happen to you or Duro.”

He smiled at them both, and they smiled back. Nasir’s was hesitant, his eyes still very afraid. Duro was somewhat shaken by the dream, and his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Agron sighed, and glanced around for a second. An idea came to his head, and he flicked his eyes from Duro to Nasir. Duro nodded, and hugged Nasir tight, while Agron stood up, gathering all three of their bed rolls, and laying them together against the wall. Duro had lit most of the candles, so there was plenty of light. Enough to keep nightmares away for the rest of the night.

Agron picked Nasir up, and Nasir immediately locked his legs and arms around Agron. He jerked his head over to the bedrolls, and Duro flopped onto the big pile. Agron sat down against the wall, and rearranged Nasir in his lap. He pulled blankets over the three of them, and Duro curled up close to Agron and Nasir.

“Get some sleep,” Agron whispered softly. Duro began to drift off almost immediately, and Agron began to hum the lullaby he’d learned from his mother. It was one she had often sung when they’d had nightmares.

Nasir was clearly fighting sleep, but he was also clearly exhausted.

“Sleep Nasir,” Agron told him, brushing his long bangs out of his face. “I’m right here. The nightmares won’t come back.”

Nasir nodded, not entirely convinced. He let his eyes drift shut though, and soon his breathing was light and slow. Agron smiled sadly down at him. He hated whenever Duro and Nasir had nightmares. Their minds were the one place he couldn’t protect them, and it hurt, despite it being beyond his control. He did what he could though once they woke up, so that they wouldn’t be afraid anymore.

He frowned slightly, as he thought back to Nasir’s nightmare. He would have to have words with Crixus, Spartacus, and Sura. Make sure they hadn’t said anything. His nightmare was far too similar to what had almost been reality, that it couldn’t be coincidence.

If Crixus had let anything slip, Agron would kill him. He might even if he hadn’t.

But it frightened him how similar is was regardless. It felt like betrayal, to tell Nasir that the guards would never find him, when they almost had. They’d come so close to living Nasir’s nightmare. So close to possibly losing everything.

Agron sighed again, running a hand over Duro’s dreadlocks. Duro smiled in his sleep, and shuffled closer to Agron.

Gods he wished his parents were alive. They were always so much better at this than he was. He just managed to get by, trying to do what he knew his mother and father had done. But they weren’t here. They were dead, and all Duro and Nasir had was him. And he’d be damned to hell if he failed them. Ever.

  


* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] It’s alright Nasir. We’re here.”


	12. Coincidence or No?

When the three of them woke up the next morning, they were all somewhat tired. Agron more so, since he had spent the majority of the night awake to watch over both Nasir and Duro.

Nasir had dark circles under his eyes, and was yawning as they ate breakfast.

“I’m going to see Crixus and the others today,” Agron told them. They both nodded in acknowledgement, too tired to even question why Agron was willingly going to see Crixus.

“Will you be alright on your own? Or do you wish to come with me?” Agron asked, already knowing the answer.

“If you do not mind,” Duro said.  Nasir nodded in agreement.

“Of course I don’t. I’m sure Sura will enjoy seeing you both.”

Duro and Nasir walked next to Agron barefoot, Agron not failing to notice that Nasir was nervous, staying as far as he could from the shadows of the cisterns. Agron pulled him close, and ran a hand over his hair. “There’s nothing there,” he assured Nasir.

Nasir nodded, but Agron knew it would be a few days before the nightmare stopped haunting Nasir.

All three of them were sitting on the floor when they entered. They weren’t doing much, just idly talking and sharpening their weapons.

Sura greeted all three of them with a smile. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” the three of them said in unison.

“I need to speak with you Crixus,” Agron said, trying to be polite.

Crixus didn’t even look up from the dagger he was sharpening. “What do you want, you fucking German?”

“Did I not just say? Or are you fucking deaf?” Agron growled, not at all in the mood for their usual angry banter.

Crixus still didn’t move. “Crixus! I need words with you. Now.” He kicked Crixus for good measure.

Crixus cursed, and tried to pull his legs out from under him, but Agron stepped out of his reach easily enough.

Duro and Nasir sat near Sura, and she smiled widely at the both of them, not failing to notice the dark circles that were prominent under Nasir’s eyes. Duro looked just as tired. Without taking her eyes off of them, she ordered Crixus to go with Agron. She gave him a sharp glare when Crixus made a sound of protest, but she was having none of it. “Go!”

Crixus sulked as Agron led him out, and away from their home.

Spartacus was watching Duro and Nasir too. “How are you doing this morning?”

“Fine,” they said in unison. Sura didn’t believe it for a second. Neither did Spartacus. He wasn’t as sharp as Sura was, but he still didn’t miss much.

Nasir looked worse than Duro. Spartacus could see something in his eyes that spoke of a deep fear, one that had yet to be nullified. Duro looked slightly upset and distraught. “Duro, come see the new dagger I got this past week.”

“Stole,” Sura muttered, not bothering to hide her amused smirk.

Spartacus gave her a wide grin, and she shook her head, her eyes twinkling. Duro happily sat next to him, taking the dagger in his hands and inspecting it closely.

Nasir was sitting quietly next to Sura, not saying anything. She had been braiding some cloth together, perhaps for some decoration or something.

“Would you like to braid some cloth together?” Sura asked absently, trying to distract Nasir.

He nodded, and she handed him three long strips of dark cloth. He knotted the three clothes together at the top, and began to slowly braid it together. “You’re trying to distract me,” Nasir observed quietly.

Sura smirked. Nasir was similar to her, and not much escaped his eyes. “I am,” she agreed.

“To what purpose?” Nasir asked.

“To distract you from whatever fear I see hiding in your eyes,” Sura answered. She saw no point in being discreet, when Nasir would see right through it.

Nasir gave her a smile small, meeting her eyes for a moment, then returned them to the cloth in his hands. It never failed to amaze him how she noticed everything.

She smiled back, and they continued their work in silence. When Nasir finished braiding the cloth, he loosely tied it off, and handed it to Sura. She took it, and set it down next to her. Nasir was still quiet distracted, looking down at his hands, and twisting them together.

Sura picked up a small bag, and produced a metal bead from it. “Come here,” she said kindly, motioning in front of her. Nasir scooted over, and turned around at her direction. She pulled him into her lap, and undid the tie that held his hair back. She carefully corded through it, and retied half of it up and out of her way.

She braided a small section of it behind his ear, and began to speak. “I don’t know what causes such fear in your eyes Nasir.”

Nasir turned his head slightly, and she knew he was going to speak, but she gently cut him off. “You don’t have to tell me. I just want you to remember something. That if you are afraid of something, it only increases. That is how fear gains life. If you wish to take its life away, then you must not fear it anymore.”

Nasir didn’t say anything, just sat quietly, and Sura knew he was thinking.

“Fear is natural. It is a part of life. Fear is what gives one courage. All one must do, is learn to overcome it.”

She finished the braid, and slipped the metal bead onto the end of it, and used a small cord to secure it in place. “All finished.” Nasir hand came up to touch the braid, fingering the metal bead at the end of it. He was able to get a good glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, and he smiled at the kind gesture.

“Thank you Sura.”

She smiled at him, and hugged him from behind. “You’re quite welcome.”

She gave the braid a playful tug. “Now you look like the warrior I’m certain you will one day become.”

Nasir chuckled. “I will never be a warrior. I’m too small for such things.”

Sura shook her head, and tugged on the braid again. “Even the smallest can become the mightiest of men. Never forget that.”

Nasir smiled, and nodded, his fingers tracing the ridges on the metal bead. Sura was didn’t release her hold around his waist, just holding him, while he sat comfortably in her arms. She was offering an unspoken support, and he thought somewhat sadly, as a mother would to a child.

He made himself cast out those thoughts. They would do him no good. And in a way, Sura was a sort of mother to him. To them all really. Except for Spartacus of course, but the rest of them, she all mothered somewhat. Him and Duro the most though.

His eyes drifted to where Duro was still inspecting Spartacus’ dagger. He and Sura both suppressed chuckles, when Spartacus tried to pry it away, and Duro moved so that he could keep looking at it.

~~*~~

Agron was barely able to keep his mouth shut until he and Crixus were out of ear shot. “Did you fucking tell him?” He demanded to know.

Crixus gave him a confused look. “Tell him what?”

“You know what! Now did you tell him?”

“Have you lost your fucking mind?” Crixus shouted at him, mildly confused. “I have no idea what you are talking about!”

“The night those men almost found Nasir!” Agron shouted right back. “Did you fucking tell him? Let anything slip?”

“Why the fuck would I do that? You were the one who swore us all to secrecy!” Crixus looked at Agron like he’d lost his mind.

“I don’t know! But someone had to let something slip!”

“What are you fucking talking about?!” Crixus demanded.

Agron groaned, and threw his hands up in the air. “Nasir had a nightmare last night. About men coming after him in the tunnels, and they managed to capture him in it. He woke up terrified. His nightmare is too close to what was almost reality for it to be a coincidence. Someone had to let something slip. There’s no other reason he would have had that nightmare.”

Crixus groaned this time. “I haven’t said a thing to him or Duro. None of us have. And whenever we’re with them, you’re usually there. You would have heard if we let something slip on accident.” Agron groaned, and Crixus added, “You fucking fool.” Just for good measure of course.

“Believe it or not you fucking idiot, I do actually give a damn about Nasir and Duro. You think I want them to live in fear? I may sometimes disagree with your choices when it involves them, but I would never think to frighten them unnecessarily. Neither one of them know about that night from me. And I can assure you that neither Spartacus nor Sura told them either.”

Agron groaned again, completely frustrated and not wanting to believe that it was all a coincidence.

“It’s the truth German, whether you like it or not. He knows nothing of it. It’s just a coincidence that he happened to have a nightmare about it.”

“Fuck the gods,” Agron angrily cursed. 

“Are you certain he was asleep when we all came running in? The night that happened?”

“Of course I’m certain! He was sound asleep, as was Duro! And he’s never said anything about it!”

Crixus looked ready to slap Agron. “That doesn’t mean anything! We all know that Nasir has a keen eye, almost as keen as Sura’s. He sees things that _we_ don’t half the time. For all you know he was awake, and was just _pretending_ to be asleep Agron! Do you ever use your fucking brain? Or do you just let it rattle about that empty head of yours?”

Agron growled, glaring at Crixus.

It wasn’t possible. Nasir had been sound asleep when that had happened. He’d stirred, but he hadn’t been awake enough to possibly know what was going on. Neither had Duro. Neither one of them knew. And he knew Nasir would have said something to him if he had heard. Nasir wasn’t afraid to broach subject on such things.

“He doesn’t know,” Agron stated firmly.

Crixus rolled his eyes, but nodded. “Believe that if you want Agron. But talk to him about it first.”

“To _talk_ to him about it, I would have to _tell_ him what almost happened. And I won’t give him cause for fear.”

Crixus groaned, and ran his hand over his face. “Do what you think is best Agron, but you have to realize that he might know something, and just not be telling you.”

Agron shook his head. “That’s not possible. Nasir tells us everything.”

Crixus wanted to smack Agron in his naïve ignorance. “Fucking idiot,” he muttered under his breath. “I assume that is why Nasir was standing so close to you when you came today?”

Agron nodded. “His nightmare is still haunting him.”

“He’s strong. Fear doesn’t carry well on him for a reason,” Crixus told him.

Agron sighed, still frustrated. “I know.” He looked back down the tunnel, and threw a glare at Crixus. “Let’s get back. They’re both still tired. I want to see if I can get to them to sleep again.”

Crixus nodded, and shoved Agron into the wall with a smile.

~~*~~

Spartacus had Duro pinned down, sitting on his back while Duro glared at him. Agron raised an eyebrow. “What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?”

Duro quickly said, “Nothing!”

Spartacus whacked him on the head. “He wouldn’t give my dagger back.”

“So you stole another one then?”

“Borrowed!”

“With no intention of giving back.”

Spartacus shrugged, and got off of Duro. Duro tried to whack Spartacus across the head, but the Thracian easily ducked underneath it and tripped him instead.

Agron ignored them both. He looked to Sura, who had Nasir wrapped up in her arms. He was dozing lightly, and he kneeled down in front of him, a glint of metal catching his eye.

He smiled when he saw the braid Sura had woven in Nasir’s hair, and the metal bead at the end of it. He gave a playful tug on it, waking Nasir up. Nasir groaned and swatted in the general direction of Agron’s hand. He missed, and both Sura and Agron chuckled. “Let him sleep,” Sura chided him.

Agron smiled, and looked at Duro. He was wide awake, so Agron doubted he would sleep, but he was certain he could get Nasir to return to sleep. “That’s the idea,” he told her. He held out his arms to take Nasir, but Sura brushed him off. She turned Nasir in her lap, and stood up with him. Balancing Nasir on her hip, she gave Agron a look. “Duro, are you coming with us or are you staying here?”

Both Spartacus and Crixus looked hopeful that Duro would go with Agron, but Duro shook his head. “I’ll stay here a while longer.”

Sura nodded. “Behave, and do not cause a large amount of trouble.”

Duro nodded dutifully, and pounced on Spartacus in revenge for tripping him.

Sura and Agron both rolled their eyes as they left. Sura felt Nasir physically stiffen when they stepped into the cistern tunnels, and he held her tight, his face pressed against her shoulder. He didn’t want to see the shadows. Agron looked at Nasir sadly, while Sura whispered, “Remember what I told you Nasir.”

Nasir nodded, and took a deep breath. He slowly lifted his head, and looked around the cisterns. He still held onto Sura tightly, and she rubbed his back soothingly. He glanced at Agron, and Agron gave him an encouraging smile.

Agron held aside the blanket, and Sura walked in. She took notice of the pile of blankets that were lying against the far wall. “Why don’t you get some sleep Nasir? Hmmm?” Nasir nodded into Sura’s shoulder, and she smiled.

She gently set him down in the middle of the blankets, and pulled one over him. Nasir snuggled down into them, holding the blanket tight to him. Sura brushed his hair back away from his face, and Nasir smiled in his sleep at the now familiar and comforting gesture.

Agron smiled, and Nasir snuggled up more under the blankets.

Sura stood up and brushed off her dress. She looked at Agron and they sat down quietly a small distance from Nasir. “So what scared him so much? What was in his nightmare?”

Agron sighed. “He didn’t tell you? You seemed to have him calm and peaceful when we came back.”

Sura nodded. “I did. I told him he didn’t have to tell me though. I just knew that whatever _it_ was, scared him a lot.”

“It terrified him,” Agron corrected. “He dreamed about men coming after him, and they captured him.”

Agron didn’t offer any further information, implying there was no more. Sura knew better though, and gave him a knowing look. “Agron, I know that’s not all of it. He wouldn’t have been that scared if that was it.”

Agron let out a heavy sigh, and nodded. “I was with him when he was captured in his dream. He said the men who had me…..they…..” Agron paused for a second, needing a moment to gather himself before he could continue, “They slit my throat.”

He looked at Sura. “He woke up screaming. He was completely terrified. So convinced it was real Sura.”

Sura looked sadly at Nasir, wanting to hold him in her arms again. “That explains the fear I saw in his eyes.” She thought for a moment, before looking back to Agron. “Is is possible that he….?”

Agron shook his head. “No. He doesn’t know,” he whispered. “At least I don’t think he does. He’s never said anything about it to us, and he was sound asleep when it happened.”

Sura looked thoughtful, and Agron answered her before she could even voice her question. “Crixus already thought of that. But I won’t ask him about it, because that would require me to tell him what happened. I don’t want him to be afraid of living here. Afraid that someone’s going to come after him, when no one is going to.”

Sura nodded. “I agree with you. It was only a nightmare. As long as he knows he’s safe, hopefully it doesn’t come back again.”

Agron nodded in agreement. “I pray it doesn’t.”

“How are Duro’s nightmares? Did they finally stop?” Sura asked softly.

Agron shook his head. “I don’t know if they ever will.”

Sura gave him a sad smile. “You’re still telling him the same story?”

Agron snorted. “What else am I supposed to tell him? The truth?”

Sura shook her head. “No. He’s not old enough for it yet.”

“I’m not going to tell him. Ever. Not if I don’t have to,” Agron told her sharply.

Sura held up her hands in surrender. “I’m not saying you have to Agron. I leave that to you and you alone.”

Agron nodded in gratitude.

Nasir shifted in his sleep. He was smiling, and Agron prayed he wouldn’t have anymore nightmares. Nasir deserved a few hours sleep after the awful night he’d had. 


	13. Celebration

The market was only somewhat busy that day. Not too many people were there, as Agron walked around, looking at the different vendors on the streets. Winter had officially come, and with it, Agron believed Nasir’s birthday. Even though Nasir didn’t know _exactly_ when his birthday was, he still thought it only fair to try and put a day to it. To give him something at least.

He looked about, looking for something he thought Nasir might like. He’d managed to scrape some coin together, enough to get Nasir a small gift. He looked in distaste at the Roman vendors, and made his way towards the market that held the wares from foreign lands. It was small, since most of the traders were currently gone, and wouldn’t return until the spring.

Nasir didn’t ask for much, well for anything really. Duro was the same, so it made it all the more difficult to find things for them. Nasir took great pride in the small braid Sura had woven in his hair some weeks before. He was always playing with it, and had even attempted to carve some wood into beads to decorate the end of the braid with.

They hadn’t worked, but Nasir was still trying to. Agron smiled as he thought about the attempts, and an idea suddenly popped into his head.

He made his way toward one of the street vendors he knew sold small trinkets. Jewelry of little worth, polished stones, and satchels of herbs were laid out in neat rows and piles. He looked about, until his eyes settle on a small bowl that looked like it’d had little attention. He looked in and rummaged through it.

Some were brightly colored, which he passed over. They wouldn’t suit Nasir. He looked at the metal ones instead. A few were plain, while others had small patterns that were slightly raised.

“See something you like boy?” The vendor asked him. Agron looked up, and raised an eyebrow.

“Possibly. How much for the beads?” He was polite, knowing better to anger the vendors. They were more likely to try and overcharge him if he did.

The vendor looked at Agron for a minute, thinking. “I’ll give you two, for three asses.”

Agron nodded, and handed over the coins. The vendor nodded, and Agron picked out two of the beads he thought Nasir would like. He carefully put them into the small pouch he carried with him, and secured it shut.

He made his way back to the center of the market, to where the butcher was. He was fair, and Agron sometimes did favors for him to earn a little extra coin.

The bell tinkled as he pushed the door open, and the butcher looked up at him from where he was cutting up some meat. He smiled at Agron, and wiped his hands off on a blood stained rag.

He greeted Agron with a nod and a smile. “What can I do for you Agron? I’m afraid I have no errands for you to run today.”

Agron smiled, and came to stand in front of the counter, folding his arms and leaning over. “I was hoping I could bargain for some meat, if possible.”

The butcher cocked his head. “What’s the occasion?”

Agron smiled a bit. “It’s for Nasir.” He was careful with his words. While vendors had come to recognize Nasir, they didn’t know the truth as to how they came to him. And he planned to keep it that way. “His birth was in the winter months, but he doesn’t know the exact date. Despite that, I was hoping to celebrate it none the less.”

The butcher smiled, and nodded. “I believe I can strike a deal with you. Have you anything in mind?”

Agron thought for a moment. “I have a few coins to help pay for it, but I know not enough. I’d run more errands for you of course, until the debt is paid.”

The butcher nodded. “Fair enough. Return next week, and I’m sure I’ll have some for you to run.” The butcher chuckled as he wrapped up some meat in clean cloth. “I hope you’ve learned something from watching me in this shop,” the butcher teased him.

Agron laughed, and blushed slightly. “I have.”

“Good. Be sure you cook it just long enough. Never over. It’ll dry it out and ruin it.”

Agron nodded obediently, and handed the butcher a few of the coins he had. The butcher in turn, pushed the meat across the counter to him. Agron put the meat into his bag, and held the top firmly shut. “Gratitude.”

The butcher nodded, and returned to cutting his meat. “Have a good day Agron.”

Agron smiled and walked out of the shop. The butcher was a man of little words, but he was a good person.

The sun was warm, as he strolled through the market. He smiled happily to himself, hoping Nasir would like the surprise.

He’d left Duro and Nasir with Spartacus, Sura, and Crixus today, claiming he had some errands to run for the butcher, and he would be busy for most of the day.

Spartacus and Crixus had groaned, but Sura had silenced them with a look. Agron had laughed, and told Duro and Nasir to behave for them. They’d both flashed innocent smiles, and nodded to Agron.

He had just enough meat to feed the three of them, and Sura was the only one who knew his true intentions.

He made his way back, swiping an apple from an unsuspecting street vendor who was foolish enough to leave his wares unattended. He munched on it happily as he walked out of the city, idly playing with the leather cords around his neck. It had been a gift from Nasir for reaching his fourteenth year, back in mid - October.

Nasir had been secretive for the two weeks or so leading up to it, spending a large portion of his time with Sura. She had taken Nasir to the market without his knowledge, and with her help, Nasir had procured the leather cords and the small beads that adorned it. He’d then spent quite a few days stringing them together, before shyly presenting it to Agron on the night of his birthday.

Agron hadn’t even known that Nasir had known when his birthday was, but he realized that Duro most have told Nasir at some point. Agron had never made a spectacle of his before, always choosing to rather spoil Duro when his birthday came along in early December.

 As he got closer to the entrance to the cisterns, he glanced behind him to make sure no had followed him. It was an old habit, as no one ever had, but it was one he refused to give up.

He held the apple in his mouth as he climbed down the ladder into the cisterns, and walked down the tunnels to retrieve Duro and Nasir.

He found them wrestling with Spartacus and Crixus, while Sura watched them all with a careful eye. She smiled at Agron, and gave him a knowing look. He sat down, hiding his bag behind him.

“Did you get what you needed?” Sura asked him.

Agron nodded. “I did. Market had what I needed, and the butcher was agreeable as he always was.”

“That’s good.” She looked to where all the boys were wrestling. “You need us to keep them occupied a while longer?”

Agron gave her a sheepish smile. “If you don’t mind.”

She threw her head back and laughed. The boys paused in their wrestling for a moment, gave them both a weird look, and then Crixus punched Spartacus in the kidney, starting it all over again.

Sura rolled her eyes, but didn’t move to stop them. She actually thought it a good way to teach Duro and Nasir to defend themselves against larger opponents, while it was opportunity for Spartacus and Crixus to shut up and get along for more than ten minutes at a given time.

Agron got up, chiding both Duro and Nasir not to cause serious injury. Duro looked somewhat disappointed, and sulked as he looked down at Crixus who he had in a headlock. Nasir only batted his eyes, and tripped Spartacus, sending him sprawling into Sura’s lap. She made an ‘oomf’ and Spartacus grinned up at her.

“Apologies.” He kissed her sweetly, and Agron, Duro, Nasir, and Crixus all made retching noises. Spartacus glared at the four of them, and kissed Sura again. Sura laughed loudly, ignoring all of them, her eyes only for Spartacus.

“Don’t fuck in front of them,” Agron said. “I don’t need their eyes to see that, and I’m in no mood to explain anything of that nature to them.”

Spartacus didn’t move, and Agron swatted him on the head. Sura smacked him in return.

“Fuck?! What did I do to deserve that?”

Sura didn’t answer him, and just shoved him away. “Go and do what you need to.”

Agron groaned, and walked out. If Sura and Spartacus did _anything_ , he’d make _them_ explain everything to Nasir and Duro.

~~*~~

An hour later he had the meat cooked and ready to be eaten. He smiled, and was ready to go and get Duro and Nasir. He’d just stood up, when Sura marched through the door, holding Duro and Nasir by the ears. They were grumbling and trying to loosen her hold on them. She pushed them towards Agron, and put her hands on her hips.

Agron gave them both a dry look and crossed his arms. “What trouble did you two cause now?”

They both shrugged, and didn’t answer him. He looked to Sura instead.

“ _They_ thought it would be a good idea to get Spartacus and gang up on Crixus. I’ve been listening to that Gaul bitch for the past half an hour, and I’m sick of it. They’re _your_ problem for the rest of the night.”

She gave Duro and Nasir a hard look, and they both grinned widely at her. “You little imps.” She waved them off and stomped out, cursing under her breath.

Agron looked at the both of them harshly for a minute, and they looked back at him, grins still on their faces. He was desperately trying to remember he was supposed to be the adult right now, but it was hard to manage, when he was actually pretty damn proud of them right now.

“You ganged up on Crixus?” he questioned them, doing his best to keep a serious look on his face.

They both nodded, grinning wider. They both knew full well they weren’t in any trouble.

Agron made one final attempt at a glare, then shook his head, and laughed loud and hard. “Excellent!”

Duro and Nasir burst into laughter as well. Agron pulled them both in for a tight hug, and ruffled their hair. “Next time though, wait until Sura is gone. You know how she gets when Spartacus and Crixus get into it.”

They both nodded, and then inhaled deeply, finally smelling the meat Agron had been cooking. They peeked under Agron’s arms, their mouths watering. “What did you get?” Nasir asked him, his eyes fixed on the meat.

“Fresh meat from the butcher. Some of his finest cuts.”

Duro tore his eyes away from the meat and looked at Agron. “How did you afford such a thing?”

Agron ruffled Duro’s hair again. “I’d saved up some coin, and I’ll run errands for the butcher to pay off the rest of the debt I owe him for it.”

Nasir looked up at Agron as well. “He is a fair man, though this is more than generous.”

“But not without good reason,” Agron told Nasir. “This is for you.”

“Me?” Nasir squeaked.

“You.” Agron confirmed. “You told us your birthday was in the winter months. I thought we should celebrate it.”

 Nasir grinned, and hugged Agron tightly around the waist. “Thank you!” Agron grinned and hugged him just as tightly back.

“Now let’s eat, before it gets cold.” Nasir and Duro both shot over to where he had the meat sitting on plates, nearly causing Agron to lose his balance. They waited impatiently for Agron to hand over their portions of it, and dug in with great enthusiasm once he did.

Fresh meat was a rarity for them. They were usually only able to afford dried meat or the lesser cuts of meat if they were truly lucky. “Don’t forget to savor the taste,” he reminded the both of them.

They nodded, but only slowed down a bit. He really couldn’t blame them though. He wouldn’t feel bad if they burned their tongues though, that was all on them.

Within less than half an hour, the three of them had polished off all of the meat. Nasir and Duro were sprawled out on the floor, rubbing their full bellies. Agron had washed the plates and put them back where they belonged, smiling to himself.

He stood over them, shaking his head as he looked down at them. “What did you think?”

Nasir grinned up at him. “It was delicious. Thank you for it Agron.”

Agron smiled down at him. “I’ve got one more thing for you. A present.”

Nasir quickly sat up and looked at him. “A present?”

Duro sat up to, smiling at Nasir. He _knew_ that was what Agron had been doing earlier.

Agron nodded, and undid the pouch tied to his belt. He handed it to Nasir with a smile. “Open it,” he prompted Nasir.

Nasir quickly undid the strings, and shook the two beads out into his hand. Nasir smiled widely as he looked at them, rolling them between his index and forefinger.

“I thought you might like them for your hair, to decorate the end of your braid.”

Nasir laughed, as he thought back to his disastrous attempts at making his own beads. “Gratitude, Agron. This is perfect.”

Agron and Duro both laughed. “You owe me no thanks,” Agron told him. “Everyone deserves a little something to celebrate reaching another year of their life.”

“Still,” Nasir said, “I am very grateful for it.”

He got up, and gave Agron a warm hug.

When he let go of Agron, Duro gave Nasir a tight hug. “Haben ein weiteres großartiges Jahr Bruders [1].”

Nasir smiled, and said, “Danke [2].” Duro and Agron both grinned. Nasir was picking up their tongue easily, and was beginning to acquire the accent as well.

They all shared a smile, and they all burst into laughter. Duro tried to uselessly tickle Nasir, and Nasir punched him in the ribs with a smile. They quickly went at each other, knocking each other to the ground, and wrestling each other to get the upper hand. Agron laughed as he watched them.

They might have been another year older, but they were still just children.

And he hoped they could stay children for a long time.

  


* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Have another great year brother
> 
> [2] Thank you.


	14. Danger

Three Months Later

Nasir was with Crixus, the two of them having been sent to market by Sura to procure fresh bread. They were making small talk; Crixus was always more willing to talk to him when Duro and Agron weren’t present.

He was still surly, but Nasir swore he could see the hint of a smile once in a while. Nasir was walking a bit ahead of Crixus, towards the bread makers shop. He was almost there, when Crixus roughly grabbed his arm and pulled him behind himself.

“Crixus, what..?”

Crixus threw his a look over his shoulder, and Nasir fell silent. Something was wrong.

Crixus was glaring straight ahead of them, at a man who was slowly walking towards them. He had several men surrounding him, and seemed to be the one they all looked to. Crixus pulled him away from the middle of the street, and trying to keep him hidden at the same time.

“Stay behind me,” Crixus said quietly. Nasir nodded, not understanding what was going on.

The man was close to them now, and Nasir could peer around Crixus just enough to see that he had stopped, and was smiling at them. Something was wrong about it. The look he was giving Crixus, his sneering smile, the cold look in his eyes, they way they were slitted at them.

It reminded him of a snake.

“Don’t say anything,” Crixus growled, his eyes focused on the approaching man.

“Young Crixus,” the man said in greeting.

Crixus bowed his head slightly, and it startled Nasir. It was something he had _never_ seen Crixus do. “Tullius,” he said stiffly, reaching behind him, and pushing Nasir further behind him, pressing him against his back.

Nasir gripped at the coat Crixus was wearing, desperately wanting to understand what was going on.

“It has been a long time since I’ve seen you in the market. I feared you might have left Capua, along with those foolish Germans.” Nasir frowned, his grip tightening on Crixus’ coat. This man was talking about Agron and Duro.

Crixus shook his head. “You must have just missed us. We frequent the market quite often.”

Tullius laughed, and it was cold and calculating. “Possibly.” Nasir felt the man’s eyes fall on him, and Nasir wished he was smaller, and able to go unseen. “And who is this? I do not believe I have met you before.”

Crixus glanced at Nasir, and Nasir could see the silent order not to say anything. “A friend of ours,” Crixus answered curtly.

Tullius kneeled down, and gestured towards Nasir. “Come here, and let me see you.”

Nasir looked at Crixus. The Gaul closed his eyes, and removed his arm from Nasir. He opened his eyes back up again, and gave him an almost imperceptible nod.

Nasir slowly stepped out from behind Crixus, and stepped toward Tullius, his hands gripping at the strap of his back slung across his chest.

Tullius didn’t say anything, his eyes scanning over Nasir. Nasir tried not to fidget, and stand still. He didn’t want to show his fear.

He flinched away when Tullius grabbed his chin, trying to force Nasir to look him in his eyes.

Tullius laughed, and it made shivers run down his spine. All he wanted to do was run and hide, to get _away_ from this man.

“Go, and I look forward to seeing you at the market again.” Tullius stood up, and gave them a small nod, before waving his hand and the men he had been with joined him once again. They walked away, down towards the center of the market.

Crixus grabbed him, and pulled him as past as he could away from Tullius, towards the bakery. “We’re getting out of here as soon as we have that bread.”

Nasir nodded, scared and wanting to get back home. They were in and out of the bakery in a matter of minutes, and on their way home. Crixus looked worriedly at Nasir, not failing to notice how the boy was shaking and visibly scared.

Crixus took his hand, and pulled him along more.”It’s alright Nasir. Ignore that stupid fuck. There’s good as to why we avoid him at the market.” He looked at Nasir, trying to calm him down a bit. “ _Never_ trust him, you understand me? _Never_ speak to him if you can avoid it. You run and you hide if you see him, especially if you are on your own.”

Nasir nodded dutifully, but Crixus knew his words hadn’t helped. Fuck. He needed Agron to do this shit for him. He was no good at it.

When they finally got back, Crixus was unsurprised to find Agron and Duro talking with Spartacus and Sura. “Crixus?” Sura asked, immediately coming to kneel in front of Nasir, and brushing his hair out of his face. “Nasir?”

Nasir let go of Crixus’ hand, and wrapped his arms around Sura’s neck. Sura hugged him tightly, not understanding why Nasir was so scared. She sat down, and rearranged Nasir in her lap.

Agron and Duro were worried, and Agron looked to Crixus. “What happened at market?”

Crixus looked at Agron sharply. “We came across Tullius in the market.”

“What?” Agron growled lowly.

“He saw us. He saw Nasir.”

Agron looked at Duro, and then at Nasir sitting in Sura’s lap. “Duro, take Nasir, and go home.” Duro looked at Agron, confusion etched all over his face. “ _Now_.”

Duro nodded, and Sura let go of Nasir. He stood up on shaky legs, and Duro took his hand, leading him out of the room. Duro looked back at Agron before they left, and Agron jerked his head towards the door. “Go. Do not leave until I return.”

Duro nodded, and they both left.

As soon as Agron was convinced they were out of earshot, he swore loudly. “Fuck the gods. How the fuck did he see you at the market? We purposely avoid that part of the market; _specifically_ during the time we know he frequents it.”

Crixus crossed his arms. “I do not know. He saw us before I saw him. I grabbed Nasir and tried to hide him away from that snake’s sight, but it was too late.”

“What did he say to Nasir?” Agron demanded to know.

“Nothing. He made Nasir stand in front of him though, and just looked at him for a moment. I would give everything to know what that shit fuck was thinking.”

“As would I,” Agron agreed.

Spartacus looked at them. “That man has his hands in every part of this city. He practically controls it.”

“A fact well known,” Agron growled. He needed no reminder of just how untouchable Tullius fucking was.

Spartacus gave Agron a kind look. “Apologies, Agron, but we have to look at it from that aspect. Tullius never takes an interest in someone, unless it is for a reason.”

Sura looked at Spartacus. “You think he recognized Nasir as the slave that went missing last spring?”

Spartacus nodded. “It is possible. Nasir was young, and worth a lot. If Tullius wanted to gain more favor, he could easily reveal the truth.”

Agron ran his hand over his face. “Then why would he wait? He is constantly surrounded by his guards. He could have seized Nasir right there, and had the coin in his hand by now. That fuck is thinking of something else. We just don’t know what.”

“Then we will have to be cautious,” Sura advised. “Duro and Nasir both know to avoid that part of the market, simply because we have instructed them not to go there. We are fortunate they listen to us, and heed us.”

Crixus nodded. “We must make sure he never goes to market alone either.”

Agron let out a heavy sigh, and threw his head back. “He never has. One of us is always with him. We’ve always made sure of that, though he has thankfully never noticed it was purposefully done.”

“And what happens if he does?” Spartacus pointed out.

“I don’t fucking know,” Agron said exasperated. “If the gods fucking favor me, it will be a few years before he questions it. Duro is more likely to do it before Nasir does.”

“And what will happen if Tullius comes across you when you are with them?” Sura asked, giving Agron a hard look.

Agron groaned, and slid down the stone wall to sit. “Nothing,” he growled. “I won’t risk their safety for anything.”

Sura closed her eyes, and let out a deep breath. Agron had a hard time reigning in his temper, and although he was more than justified in his hatred towards Tullius, the man was dangerous. One word, and they could all be killed or worse.

“Be sure to remember that, even when he provokes you,” Sura said firmly.

Agron nodded, knowing the reminder was for all of their benefit.

“And he will,” Spartacus pointed out. “He _wants_ you to lose control. He wants to remind you _who_ is in control of this city.”

“Something I already know,” Agron groaned out.

“Be sure never to forget it,” Crixus intoned.

~~*~~

“What happened at the market Nasir?” Duro asked curiously, looking over his shoulder to where they had left Agron.

“I don’t know. We came across some man there. His name was Tullius. Crixus-“

“Tullius?” Duro turned around to look at him.

“Yes. Crixus tried to keep me hidden from him for some reason. That man,” Nasir shuddered. “Something was wrong about him.”

Duro nodded in agreement. “I’ve only seen him once or twice before. Agron does not like him, or Vettius.”

“Vettius?” Nasir pushed aside the blanket as they walked into their home. “Is he not one of the lanista’s in the city?”

Duro picked up a loaf of bread and broke it in half. “He is. Agron won’t ever tell me his real reasoning behind why we can’t go to the games, but I know that somehow _they’re_ part of it.”

“Why does Agron not like them?” He took the other half of the bread and broke off a small piece and popped it in his mouth. “I have never heard him voice a reason.”

Duro shrugged, and thought for a moment. He had his own theories, but he’d never been able to find any true evidence for it. “Tullius plays patron to Vettius’ ludus from my understanding. It is a great honor, as it can bring them more money. Agron has always disliked Tullius, and when he became patron to Vettius’ I believed he extended that dislike to him as well.”

“But why does Agron dislike Tullius?”

Duro thought again. “I do not know. I remember seeing him when I was a small child. In our house I think. I do not remember anything else though.”

Nasir looked at Duro curiously. He had never heard Duro talk about his childhood before his mother and father had died. “Was he a friend of your mother and father?”

Duro furrowed his brow, desperately trying to remember. “I-I do not know. I don’t remember much. I was young when everything happened.”

They were both quiet for a few minutes, thinking and wondering what had happened all those years ago.

“Agron always keeps us away from them,” Duro said quietly. “He doesn’t want us anywhere near them.”

“Crixus said something similar to me, after we saw him at the market. He told me that I should never talk to him, and to run and hide if I ever saw him at the market, especially if I was alone.”

Duro ate a piece of bread, and chewed it slowly before answering. “I’ve been instructed to do the same, by both Agron and Crixus. What I don’t understand is why they won’t explain _why_ we have to.”

Nasir’s lip twitched in what might have been a half smile. “Because they are protecting us. Is that not what Agron’s reasoning always is?”

Duro groaned. “That’s always their reasoning. You’d think just _telling_ us would be better protection, than hiding the truth away from us. If we knew, then we would know exactly why we have to avoid Tullius, instead of guessing why we have to.”

Nasir agreed, but part of him also didn’t want to know the truth. Agron was hiding it from them for a reason. Agron wasn’t one to keep them in the dark, unless it was for a good reason. And Nasir had gotten an awful feeling from just seeing the man for less than five minutes. There was something awfully wrong about him. He was power hungry, Nasir could sense it.

He was all too familiar with me who craved power. He’d once been at their will and command. They were people who were willing to do _anything_. Hurt those they held closest, betray those they called brother, even kill their own father, all for the sake of power.

And if there was anything Nasir knew about them, it was that they didn’t _care_ about the repercussions. All they _cared_ about was rising to the heavens.

Duro was trying to remember what he could of his childhood, before his mother and father died. It always bothered him that he couldn’t remember much of it. At best it was hazy, at the worst there was nothing. He only had faint memories of both his mother and father. He smiled as a beautiful face floated in front of his eyes. A woman with brown hair like his, and sea green eyes like Agrons. Their mother. Agron always praised her beauty and kindness whenever he asked of her.

His father had been strong, with large muscles, forged from years of making weapons in his shop. He’d had dark eyes, and dark hair as well, and an ever present grin. He had some memories of wrestling with his father and Agron; them all laughing together.

They were pleasant memories; ones that Duro hoped he would never lose. They were all he had.

Agron returned maybe an hour later. They were both carving some small pieces of wood, and looked up when Agron walked through the door.

“Are you alright Nasir?” Agron asked, as he threw his coat to the side.

Nasir nodded. “I am.”

“You are certain?”

Nasir nodded again. “The man has a disturbing presence, but once freed of it, I was fine.”

Agron sat down on the floor, and grabbed a loaf of bread out of the chest they kept their food it. “Never speak to him Nasir. Never-.”

Nasir didn’t even look up. “I know Agron. I’ve already been told by both Crixus and Duro. The man is dangerous, and not to be trusted.”

He flicked his eyes up for a moment to look at Agron, and smirked. “I don’t need you to tell me everything. I see more than enough.”

Agron pursed his lips, but held his tongue knowing that Nasir was right. “Just make sure you remember that, if you should ever chance upon him again. You understand?”

Nasir nodded. “I understand.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be continued later on. I lost my muse, so I wasn't able to finish everything I wanted. I have about ten or so chapters that will be added later on, once my muse returns, which I have no doubt will happen as soon as the new season starts on Friday. Just give me some time, and I promise I will return to give you the last half of it.   
> In the meantime, I thought this was a good place to leave off, since it encompasses their entire first year together in Capua, and the next chapters will begin two years later from where I have left off.


	15. Idiots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think you can figure out who the two idiots are =)

Two Years Later

Things were as easy as they could be for Nasir, Duro and Agron. They never took more than they needed from the people the people of Capua, lest suspicions be aroused, and they stayed out of trouble for the most part. It wasn’t easy raising Nasir and Duro this way, but Agron did his damn best to make sure they never went hungry, even if meant he did.

It was a relief that he could count on Sura, Spartacus, and Crixus to help if he needed it. They all helped raised the two young boys, trying to give them what they had lost. They made the strangest family - if the Gaul could be counted as family – but they were all in this together.

At thirteen years old now, Duro and Nasir were slowly becoming men. Duro was starting to grow taller; both of them had started to fine hone their muscles, their voices deepening slightly. They were naturals with daggers, and soon after they had turned thirteen, Agron had brought home three swords. They would never have any use for them if the gods favored them, but Agron felt it was time they learned.

Duro and Nasir wouldn’t pick them up though, not until Agron revealed the truth about where he had gotten the swords, for there was no way they could ever afford them, and to steal one was dangerous.

Eventually Agron relented, and told them they were his father’s weapons. One’s that he managed to save, and hidden away in the cisterns. They hadn’t believed him at first actually, not until Agron had led them to the chest, and they had seen the half a dozen swords inside of it, along with several other daggers.

 Agron had enlisted both Spartacus and Crixus to help him teach Duro and Nasir. First with roughly carved wooden swords, so that they would not kill or shred each other to pieces, and then carefully with the real swords, so that they could learn to become adjusted to its weight.

When Nasir had held his for the first time, he’d tossed it a bit in his hand, judging its weight. “It’s heavier than I imagined,” he commented, looking at both him and Spartacus.

Spartacus had smiled encouragingly at him. “It will grow lighter in time.”

Agron had agreed, and Nasir and Duro had both thrown themselves into their training. More often than not, Agron would find them sparring with either each other, Crixus, Spartacus or a combination therein as he walked down the tunnels.

They didn’t have much, but they were all happy.

~~*~~

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

“This was _your_ fucking idea!”

“Since when do you listen to me!?”

Nasir rolled his eyes and looked at Duro. “Fine. I’ll do mine first.” He looked at the needle in his hand, and put the earring on the chest in front of him. They’d managed to pilfer a bronze mirror from some garbage a few months back, so they could use it as a mirror. He got the bronze mirror to balance and then put the needle to his left ear lobe.

He quickly shoved it through, hissing quietly at the quick sting. Leaving the needle in, he picked up the small earring. In less than a breath, he’d pulled the needle out and replaced it with the earring. It was just a simple bronze hoop, but enough to leave in while the piercing healed for the next few weeks.

The spot was a bit tender, but from what the traders had told him, it would wear off within a fortnight’s time, so long as he kept it clean and didn’t play with it.

He turned to Duro and crossed his arms. “See? Not that bad. Now it’s your turn.”

Duro made a face at him, and took the needle out of Nasir’s hand. Duro held it over a small flame for a few moments and then wiped it off with a dry cloth. The Syrian moved so that Duro could sit in front of the bronze mirror, and watched as Duro pierced his left ear as well. His own hoop was silver for his ear.

“You’re right. That was nothing,” Duro commented, as he pulled out the second hoop he’d gotten. This one was bronze, and unlike the silver one, was likely to be permanent.

Nasir rolled his eyes and smacked Duro upside the head. “Agron’s going to be pissed when he sees that one.”

“He’s going to be pissed either way. We didn’t ask him if we could do this.”

“Once again, I remind you that _this_ was your idea.”

“You were all for it!”

“For piercing our _ears_ , Duro. Not your nose.”

Duro shrugged and looked back at the mirror. He put the needle to his left nostril. He’d maybe pushed the needle half way through when he swore loudly. “Fuck!” He removed his hand, but left the needle half way through his nose.

“You’re not going to leave it like that?” Nasir asked, rolling on the ground laughing. “It looks way better than the hoop does.”

Duro glared at Nasir, and tried to shove the needle through again, but it hurt too much to do on his own. Nasir was still laughing at him.

“Why don’t you help me, instead of making me your own personal entertainment?”

“Because this is more fun?”

“Nasir!”

Nasir chortled and got up from the ground. He took the needle in his hand, and with one firm push, had it all the way through Duro’s nostril.

“FUCK!” Duro shouted out, grabbing at his nose.

Nasir laughed, and handed him the bronze hoop. “See this through brother.”

Duro snatched the hoop out of Nasir’s hand, and grimaced as he pulled the needle out and slid the hoop in.

Duro went to rub at his nose again, but Nasir caught his hand and stopped him. “You heard what the traders said. We can’t touch them. They’ll take longer to heal.”

“But it hurts!” Duro whined.

“Hold some cold water to it then, but keep your hands _away_ from it.”

“Keep your hands away from what?”

Nasir and Duro both cringed and shared an ‘oh shit’ look. They both smiled sheepishly at Agron as they turned to look at him, where he stood with his arms crossed, looking at them expectedly.

At sixteen years old, and officially counted as a man, he’d grown into the bulk he’d had as a child. He stood over a foot taller than Nasir, and had the muscle to back it all up. Not that he and Duro still couldn’t take Agron when they all wrestled together, but Agron really was a sight to behold now.

Nasir was grateful for his long hair, since it blocked his pierced ear from Agron’s view, but Duro was far from as lucky. His dreads left both of his new piercings exposed, and Agron rolled his eyes as he saw them. He pulled Duro up by his unpierced ear, and looked at him. “And exactly _whose_ idea was this?”

“Not mine!” Duro immediately yelled.

Agron looked at Nasir expectantly, who was glaring at Duro. “It was all Duro’s idea.”

“Thanks Nasir.” Duro glowered at Nasir. Agron tugged on Duro’s ear, dragging him along until he could grab Nasir as well. “It was the trader’s who suggested it!”

“Sure,” Agron said, completely unconvinced. “So what’s your role in this?”

Nasir shrugged his shoulders as best as he could, trying to loosen Agron’s headlock on him. “I just pierced my ear. He’s the idiot who pierced his ear and his nose.”

“You pierced my nose for me!”

Nasir kicked Duro in the shin. _Hard_. “Because _you_ couldn’t stick it all the way through your fucking nose you woman! Don’t try to blame this all on me! It was your idea, and I went along with it!”

“I’m not a woman!”

Agron smiled and let loose of them both, and as he predicted, Nasir pounced on Duro. He let them go at it for a few minutes, until Duro surrendered with a loud shout of, “You win!”

Nasir smacked Duro on the head again for good measure, before standing up and fixing his hair that had fallen loose from its binding.

Duro grumbled as he stood up, rubbing at his nose. “It was my idea. I got it from some of the traders than came in from the East two weeks ago.”

Agron rolled his eyes again, and Nasir tugged the tie out of his hair, giving up on fixing the damage the hard way. “Where did you get the hoops?”

“From the coin we saved for ourselves,” Nasir explained, tugged a bone comb through his hair, and undoing some of the worst knots. “It wasn’t much, just a coin or two each.”

Agron nodded. “And what if they get infected?”

Nasir shrugged his shoulders, working at getting his hair tied back again. “They shouldn’t as long as we don’t _touch_ them,” he threw a look at Duro, “And as long as we keep them clean.”

“But what if infection settles in anyway?” Agron persisted. If they were going to do things like this they had to think out all the possible outcomes.

“We get some wine and pour it on the wound. It’ll clean it out and should flush out the infection,” Nasir said without even blinking, a smirk on his face.

Fuck. Nasir was good at this shit. Agron was glad he could see all the possible outcomes, but he sometimes got annoyed that he couldn’t get his point across anymore.

“I’m glad at least you paid attention, since it seems this idiot didn’t,” Agron said, giving Duro a stern look.

Duro threw a chunk of wood at him. “I did pay fucking attention to the traders. You just asked Nasir first you ass.”

“Fine. Just remember what they said, and don’t play with them then.”

Duro stuck out his tongue at Agron, and he rolled his eyes at his little brother. “So how long have you two idiots been planning this?”

“A week maybe?” Duro looked at Nasir, who nodded in agreement. “We got the idea when we went to market when the traders first arrived.”

“ _We_?” Nasir commented.

“ _I_ ,” Duro corrected, rolling his eyes. Did Nasir _have_ to keep mentioning it was his idea in the first place? Then again, it was their usual, whenever they got in trouble and were trying to save themselves from Agron’s piercing gaze.

Agron rolled his eyes again, and sat down on his bedroll. Tossing off his coat and dropping his bag beside him, digging out one of the apples he’d swiped from a vendor.

He took a bite of his apple, and said, “I still think you’re both idiots.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was just a fun chapter I wrote a few weeks back, but didn't include it at first because I didn't feel it flowed with it.  
> Most of you have read the entire thing though, so now I don't care.


End file.
